BUKATA’S END, SAPA CLOSE

The final throes of the largest democratic event in Africa are upon us – the Nigerian Presidential election. It's worthy of note that the events leading up to this election have been difficult and chaotic. Still, we stand at the crossroads of electing one out of the three major presidential candidates and a gallery of minor candidates to rule Nigeria for the next four years. Let’s look back and see where all the “wahala” originated.

First, there was a prolonged scarcity of pocket-friendly petrol which has interestingly, not reduced the amount of cars plying the roads as one would assume. Looking back, one would realise that this fuel issue has been recurrent over the years, such that most Nigerians, though unhappy about the situation, have learned to cope and manage. We were still grappling with this, when the second challenge rolled in - new notes and scarcity of cash. This was because on February 10th, 2023, the Nigerian government announced that old ₦200, ₦500 and ₦1000 notes would no longer be legal tender, with the new notes released about three months prior on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2022. Businesses strictly refused old notes from then on, even market women and commercial drivers joined in this train after some time.

Hence, fuel scarcity married cash scarcity and drove both men, women, and quite a few children crazy. The cash scarcity brought out a wildness that white supremacists have over the years, labelled blacks with. And naturally, Nigerians made a plethora of jokes about the issues. However, this frenetic virus that took over Nigeria’s middle and lower class persisted. The phrases “we don’t take old notes”, “you can only pay in cash”, or “no POS” became the order of the day. And the symptoms of this virus were more pronounced in older people who promptly responded in distress and anger. These festered before going on to spread contagiously in different acts of violence. Needless to say, there have been different conspiracy theories about the recent happenings. Many have opined that the cash shortage was a plot to keep the current president himself in office a little longer in the hopes of a State of Emergency or a simple election postponement due to violence in banks and riots at ATMs.

In light of the cash and fuel shortages that have plagued the nation in recent weeks, one would think that the numerous accredited voters, including the youths who form a significantly larger percentage of the estimated voting population would be discouraged. However, we witnessed people who came out in numbers to decide the fate of our nation for the next four years be it the BATified, Atikulate or Obidient.

Nonetheless, we must acknowledge the efforts of certain persons who created an antidote for this virus in form of videos, under the glare of artificial lighting and cameras, whilst locked in their rooms and administered it through social media. This antidote suppressed the sad pathogens and sapa microflora and microfauna responsible for the infection by stimulating healthy doses of laughter doubling as coping mechanisms for many.

Finally, as results trickle in and a new beginning unfolds for Nigeria, ensure to keep your cash close and your coping mechanisms closer.

Wisdom Salami