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The governorship
election has provided yet more proof of the seismic shift in Nigerian
politics that has taken place over the past few weeks.

In many parts of
our country, it was a tale of hitherto strong-men of local politics
being humbled right on home turf. While the surprising defeat of a
politician in and of itself is nothing to be cheerful about – and in
many cases, there is hardly an ideological difference between victors
and vanquished – it is remarkable as a demonstration of people-power
when the people who appear to have held our hard-won democracy hostage,
are sent a strong message.

Across the country
for the past two days, that has been the case. As one newspaper put it,
for the first time in Kwara State, it appears that Olusola Saraki,
variously referred to as the godfather of the state’s politics, was not
responsible by influence or activity for the ‘installation’ of a
governor-elect. In Anambra State, the assumed favourite, Dora Akunyili,
after a run-off, missed the mark by a few hundred votes – to the
surprise of many. In Delta State, Great Ogboru almost reached to snatch
the mandate from the sitting governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan; and in the
south west, many strongmen came tumbling down, including the scion of
the late Lamidi Adedibu’s ‘amala politics’ heritage – Adebayo
Alao-Akala, governor of Oyo State.

Indeed, the south
west, following the trend of the National Assembly elections,
effectively went back to the hands of the opposition – the result of
almost four years of strategy and grassroots mobilization; and a
combination of street smartness and aggressive politicking.

In Imo State, it
is a titanic battle between the incumbent, Ikedi Ohakim and perennial
candidate, Rochas Okorocha – a mishmash of accusations, cancellations
and rumours. No one knows exactly who the leading candidate is. The
electoral commission sounds and looks as confused as impatient
onlookers, but one thing is clear: Mr. Ohakim – whose image has taken a
beating following a string of media stories about strong-arm tactics on
his part – is in the fight of his life to retain his seat, and to save
face.

This is a state of
affairs that should be pleasing to Nigerians – and by this we do refer,
not to the fate of individual candidates, but to the atmosphere and
appearance of robust democracy that it suggests. Clearly, politicians
now have to go to the people for power. It used to be that when two
elephants fight, the grass underneath suffers – but it begins to appear
that where democracy is alive and well, when the elephants fight, the
people have the last laugh.

There are of
course, a lot of factors involved in this – a vibrant, even militant,
opposition; a media that has admirably taken its place as an unbiased
umpire; an Independent National Electoral Commission that is determined
to see through its promise of credible, if not completely fair,
elections; a Presidency that continues to impress with its complete
refusal to interfere with electoral processes and a country that is,
finally, ready for some real change in the way it is governed.

Twelve years ago,
the headliners of Nigeria’s ruling party, the People’s Democratic
Party, would wave away any imperfections – natural or man-made – in the
system with a casual “this is a nascent democracy”. With the benefit of
hindsight, they were right. Our democracy has had its teething
problems, and it has struggled and stumbled along the way, but it has
continued to grow.

That, fortunately
for Nigerians, was where the ruling class missed it. Yes, once it was
nascent, but now it has grown. If Nigerians keep up this tempo, the
balance of power will really change hands. In another four short years.