Last week, we tried to emphasise the fact that many Nigerians, who are today apprehensive, courtesy of the prevailing political milieu in the country, have genuine reasons for their fears. The countdown to the party primaries in the country, especially that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), expectedly heated the polity.

As usual or even more than what had ever been witnessed in the polity before, most politicians employed the do-or-die approach that really brought into display their inordinate ambition. Some of them tried to wake up and reactivate the slumbering centrifugal forces, which for very long time, had been the invincible hydra-headed monster, creating major impediments to national integration in the country and hence, the seemingly intractable political instability in the nation.

Now that the party primaries for the 2011 general election had come and gone and winners had emerged, a major hurdle in the election year had been crossed. What now remains is the aftermath of the primaries. The fallouts of the primaries will go a long way to shape the tone of politicking that will usher in the elections. And to a large extent, this will determine whether there will be free, fair, credible and acceptable elections in the country before the emergence of a new regime.

The aphorism: “The bigger the head, the bigger the headache”, is more relevant in Nigeria’s party politics. For instance, the volatility of the intra-party squabbles in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) is not as high as that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In fact, for obvious reasons, little or nothing is even being heard about the primaries of other registered political parties in the country.

Since politics has become the most lucrative venture in Nigeria and money has ostensibly been elevated even above God by many Nigerians, the do-or-die approach in the major parties has become inevitable. Because of the recent political gains of the ACN and the resultant expectation of brighter political fortunes by candidates of the party in the coming elections, the intra-party squabbles were more pronounced this time around.

Those of the PDP were even more pronounced, wearing the toga of palpable threat to national unity. The party is laying claim to be the largest political party, not only in Nigeria but also in the whole of Africa. Thus, it is assumed, especially by party members that whoever emerged as the party’s candidate at the polls would have easy access to political office and the wealth and fame that such an office confers on the occupier in Nigeria’s peculiar socio-political milieu.

Now that the primaries had been won and lost, what becomes of Nigeria and the social, economic and political dreams of many Nigerians? For instance, in some mature political climes where politics is not taken as a do-or-die affair, while the loser would immediately congratulate the winner, the winner also would not put on the arrogant garb of winner takes all.

Therefore, Nigerians would be delighted to see Atiku Abubakar congratulating Goodluck Jonathan, the winner of what many Nigerians watched live on their television sets as a transparent election. In the same vein, a hand of fellowship must also be stretched by Jonathan to Atiku and Sarah Jubril, his co-contestants for the highly prized PDP ticket.

We read in the newspapers that General Babangida and Sarah Jubril had congratulated the winner. This is highly commendable. Atiku should emulate this in the greater interest of Nigeria. This is the path to greater, peaceful, viable and stable Nigeria.

Implicit in the above is the fact that how the losers and winners handle the post-party primaries politicking would determine, to a large extent, whether Nigeria would witness a free, fair and peaceful election this year. Also, this will go a long way to determine whether the nation would experience the long time yearnings of Nigerians for a peaceful and prosperous united Nigeria.

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