by Oluwadaisi Olaseinde

When the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) boss, Professor Attahiru Jega picked this year’s Valentine’s Day for our d-day, being the grandiose presidential election of Nigeria, a day where history will be made again, a day that is so dear to Nigeria(ns), a lot of people raised eyebrows.

What was their grouse? The effrontery of the INEC boss to fix an election that has been rated extremely high in the annals of Nigerian political terrain on lovers’ day.

Ab initio, I had this feeling too, that why will Jega do this to Nigerians? Has he lost all sense of love? Is he so bereft as to kill a day that has been known all over the world to be a moment to show resplendent love to one another? Doesn’t he show (or make) love to his wife? How about giving his immediate family that cherished time to appreciate the unit called the home?

Jega must have been presciently clairvoyant to have fixed the well talked about 2015 presidential election on February 14, 2015 so that Nigerians can show (and make) love to Nigeria. Yes, you heard me right. Nigeria, our ‘mother’land is now dried up of true love. Of course, Nigeria must have lost all sense of true love in all ramifications for all these anomalies to take place in her. I will not waste any time as to enumerate all the ‘unloveable’ things that have befallen our great nation.

This date, to me, is a highly significant one for us as a people to reflect and go back to the basics – look for that love long lost from our individual bosoms and let it exhale from within us. February 14 is not a time for retribution, or revenge, or rascality. Rather, it is a time for reconsideration, repentance and respite. Nigerians, it is that time again to decide. Professor Jega did very well to have fixed this date on lovers’ day. It is an opportunity for us to show love to our dear nation. We have dealt badly with this country that we no longer look after her and her patriots.

The politicians, the government and the people are all culpable. We have done this great evil to our country. Not an outsider or foreigner(s) has messed with us, and if at all they have, then that is because we have compromised too much on our love, loyalty and patriotism to our one and only dear nation.

It is high time we began to show responsiveness and responsibility to Nigeria. Let us reawaken ourselves and make love to Nigeria.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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Oluwadaisi Olaseinde is a photographer and a writer based in Lagos State.

Kolapo Olapoju