Humans learn from experience. Approaching any act for the first time could be accompanied by nervousness most times. This is the case with me over the years. Whenever I am doing anything for the first time, my level of anxiety increases. The more I get closer to the proposed date of such an activity, the more I become eager to see everything unfold quickly.
First experience matters in deciding on the continuity of some actions. You could be encouraged to look up to another time that such an opportunity would present itself. In some other instances, the first experience may make me vow never to repeat such an action.
In 2003, I had the first experience of voting. I was in Ondo State then. It wasn't in my plan to vote because according to the Nigerian Constitution, a citizen must be at least 18 years old to be eligible to vote. I wasn't 18 yet.
My uncle was the ward youth leader of his political party. He took me with him to most of his political meetings preceding the day of the election.
On the eve of the election day, he told me that I would follow him to the polling station for him to cast his vote and stand as an agent for his political party. I was very happy to be presented with the opportunity to witness voting for the first time.
On election day, the process started seamlessly. The electoral officials started the accreditation and voting concurrently at about 9 am. I was standing a few meters away watching what was going on.
About two hours into the voting process, two vehicles fully loaded with armed policemen stormed the polling station. They came with an assignment which was to disrupt the process and compromise everything in favor of the ruling party at the time.
Immediately the police team arrived, they went violent, beating the party agents of the opposition. All the identifiable members of the opposing party were asked to lie on the ground on their backs while facing the scorching sun.
My mouth was wide open in surprise. I had been hearing of election rigging but I never expected to witness it in that magnitude.
The remaining unused ballot papers were brought out and everyone began to thumbprint. Someone gestured for me to come over and the ink case was pushed to me to join in the process. I naively joined in the multiple voting. The votes that were already cast were brought out of the box. The ballots cast for the opposition party were rendered invalid by thumbprinting another party on the same paper. Two political parties can't be voted for at once. That was how more than 80% of the votes cast for the opposition party were voided.
During the whole process, the opposition party agents and their supporters remained in their lying positions.
The votes were counted at the end of the day and of course, the ruling party won the election with more than 90% of the total vote cast in the polling unit.
The following day, the candidate of the ruling party was declared the winner of the gubernatorial election in the state. He won with more than 80% of the total vote cast statewide.
That singular experience made me lose faith in the electoral process in Nigeria.
Years later, I regretted participating in the event of that day. I was naive as a young teenager.
Things have improved over the years but the problem of election rigging has not been eradicated. My first experience discouraged me from further participation in voting.
It is absurd when elections are not the true reflection of the people's will.
