Change – In Honour Of Nigeria’s Democracy by Adesuwa Onyenokwe

 

A major event took place on May 29 2015. Power changed hands for real. An old dispensation gives way to a new. I am 52 this year and I have never seen this happen. That’s why it’s a big deal. My kids couldn’t understand why I wanted to watch the swearing in ceremony that had PDP’s Goodluck Jonathan, hand over to APC’s Muhammadu Buhari. Live.

As far as they were concerned I could always watch it on the news. They couldn’t understand that I wanted to be part of history, so that when anyone asks where I was at 10.51 on Friday, May 29 2015, I would say, I watched President Buhari complete the oath taking that confirmed him as now being officially in charge of the destiny of almost 200 million Nigerians!

And so when I had goose bumps as, dressed in white, first the Vice President and his wife, then the president and his wife climbed the podium to do the needful; I didn’t feel odd. Rather I felt an awesome sense of optimism that seemed inexplicable initially. On second thought I knew it was more than the white they wore that signified peace and have me hope, it was the implication for how I hope d we would all live our lives now. Hence I am sharing it.

We can and should demand change in any aspect of our life, and be prepared to work to achieve it.

Another goosebumps moment was when in his inaugural speech, the president was gracious enough to accept that change actually began with his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan setting a precedence by conceding defeat at the March 28th Presidential polls! A lesson for do or die politicians or other individuals for that matter.

I welcome the change that happened on May 29th and all the hope it brings because I believe  that since many watched it on national TV a number would have grabbed the message and imbibe some of the lessons that came with it.

Democracy is the biggest winner.