SIRI LANKA ELECTION 2015, SHOWS NIGERIA THE HOW-TO WAY?

Icheoku says with the just concluded presidential election in Siri Lanka, one thing that emerged therefrom is the independent of the country's military. It stood firm and it stood its grounds and refused to help or collude with the outgoing incumbent president keep hold unto power, against the expressed will of the people. According to sources, when the early returns were not favorable, the incumbent president contacted the military top hierarchy with staggering inducements, to influence their support to enable him maintain his hold unto power; but the country's military assertively said no to the president. The result, today there is an incumbent president who was defeated in an election and who now stands officially ousted; and there is a new president-elect, waiting to lead that tiny Indian Ocean Island-country. Icheoku says way to go Siri Lanka military, kudos.

Icheoku says this Siri Lanka's election is very important because it is the first country to conduct its presidential election this 2015, the same year presidential election is scheduled to hold in Nigeria on February 14. The Siri Lankan election was peaceful, devoid of much bitterness, rancor and acrimony; and it was also conclusive too. The incumbent president was voted out of office and having lost power, a new president-elect is known and would soon be sworn in to take over the mantle of leadership of the country. Icheoku says Siri Lankan's election commission did a very good job too successfully in holding a free and fair election and conclusively too. Icheoku hopes the Nigerian experience would similarly be this kosher. However, all these pluses are not what particularly made it very remarkable for Icheoku; no, what is so remarkable about this election is that the outgoing president wanted to keep himself in power at all cost and approached the country's military to help him sustain power. But the military told him, no, we will not be a party to such illegality neither will we support an illegal hold unto power; and the president aware that his reign is over, then conceded defeat. 

Icheoku says the Nigerian military must be prepared to emulate their Siri Lankan's counterpart and show their independence in the event the incumbent President Jonathan is voted out office just like the Siri Lankan's incumbent president. Icheoku is not saying nor wishing that the result of the Nigerian February presidential election would go the way of the Siri Lankans; but just in case it does and the president wants to play a fast one, the Nigerian military must be able to resist the pressure to sustain an illegality. Nigerian military must be able to exhibit their independence and impartiality and allow whoever wins the February election to have a safe power retention or have power smoothly transferred to him, regardless of the influence or pressure or inducement. 

This is the beauty of democracy and in a functioning country where the different institutions of government are independent and can easily hold their grounds, irrespective of the wishes of an overbearing incumbent president.  Icheoku says it is perfidious for any incumbent president, who is on the final leg of his terms limit, to change the rule midstream like the outgoing president; or its attempt, like Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria with his failed Third Term bid. Admitted the outgoing president of Siri Lanka successfully did havoc to and changed the country's constitution to accommodate his third term greed, but the people of Siri Lanka had the final say and rejected this aberration through the ballot box. Way to go Siri Lankans and congratulations to the country's armed forces for not being a party to term elongation through the backdoor. Icheoku says congratulations to the people of Siri Lanka and their newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena. To the outgoing President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Icheoku says have a happy retirement and please always remember that it is never a good thing for one to outlive one's welcome on the stage. A good riddance; move over outgoing President Rajapaska and please welcome President-elect Sirisena.