Medinat Kanabe catalogues the fall-out of the recently concluded elections and the restriction on movement, as it affected housewives, under-age children and commercial motorcycle riders.
The fact that it usually comes with a great deal of tension and threats of violence also means that a good number of people make it a point of duty to shut down their businesses and stay indoors. Even establishments as big as banks closed very early on Fridays preceding the two election weekends for fear of pre and post election violence.
The flipsides to this however, is that many homes had their usually absent loved ones suddenly off work and indoors.
For newlywed Deborah Yunus, were it not
for the fact that one needs to work for a living, she would have wished
that every day were Election Days. “The serenity and tranquillity is
unique and unusual for the highly tensed, pre-election day reports in
the media. There were speculations of chaos and unrest everywhere but it
exceeded our expectations. That I have my husband at home with me is
one of the best parts of the exercise to me. I have him to myself to
discuss issues, plan and play.” And so she concluded by saying “I like
am oooooo.”
The story is similar with Basirat
Owodunni, a banker who hardly has time to spend with her family and
husband, who is also a banker. For once, they had time to stay indoors
and savour great moments of unity and love with their children. “I am
very happy my husband is home today. I work in the bank and sometimes I
go to the office on Saturdays, but today, I didn’t; neither did my
husband. I am at home with my husband and baby and I am so happy about
it.”
Odion Oshoma, a housewife also expressed
her excitement at the opportunity to have her husband at home on the
election weekends, but said it went beyond just that. Coincidentally,
she said her husband, has also changed from his old ways.
“I am happy my husband is at home today.
But it is not because of the election. He just does not go out anyhow
like before. If it was when he used to go out every weekend to hang-out
with his friends, not even an election will make him stay at home. Some
men cannot just stay at home! Even if there is a curfew, they will still
look for a way to go out. I am talking from experience because I have
been a victim. Before my husband changed, I know what I went through. He
would go out anytime he likes and come back at anytime, but now, I can
predict his movement. So it is the individual, not the election.”
For Hauwa Shodeinde, a proprietress, the
election days didn’t offer much difference in terms of having her
husband at home, because he was very much involved in the election
process and watched the news judiciously.
“It is difficult to say if I enjoyed his
company or not, because although he was at home, there really wasn’t
much difference as he had to go out for accreditation, then for voting
and then came back to put on the television to follow the news. So for
me, it makes little difference.”
Deborah Adedeji however said she was
home alone on both days and didn’t benefit from the so-called advantage
accruing there-from. “I was home alone. My husband wasn’t at home as
usual. He went to attend to his business. I really don’t think the
election is enough to keep him at home. So I really don’t see why I
should wish everyday were Election Days.
Mariam Akinremi however missed out on
whatever gains housewives were supposed to enjoy on the polls days, as
her husband travelled before the election. “I wish my husband were here
to spend this day with me and my daughter, but he is not. He travelled
before the Election Day.”
Zeenat Asseh, a business woman, fell in
the same group with Akinremi, as her husband, a Naval Officer was on
duty during the periods. “My husband is a military man, so he went to
the office because he was on duty.”
Precious Akpan’s response was however
peculiar. A housewife, Akpan said she really does not like it whenever
her husband is at home. “I don’t like it when my husband is at home
because we fight all the time. I prefer that he goes out as usual to
meet with his numerous girlfriends. So he will not even be at home
today. He must have called his girlfriend to meet him somewhere.
Besides, I am tired of fighting him, so I prefer it when he is not at
home.”
Akpan said she is also likely to get
pregnant whenever her husband chooses to stay at home, which she no
longer wants. “Four children are okay for me. If he stays at home, I
will get pregnant again.”
Strangely, Faustina Chukwuma, an MTN
staff could not say if she was happy or sad that her husband was at
home. She wondered if it wasn’t better for her husband to be away at
work, since that would guaranty meals on the table. On second thought,
she however said “I like it because he would ordinarily have been out
hustling. The bad news however is that we’ve not had power all day.”
As for Mary Adelomo, a nursing mother
and baker, the election weekends were occasions to sleep and avail
herself of those scarce resting opportunities. “I would like everyday to
be like election days because I was able to sleep all day, while my
husband who was at home attended to the baby.”
Rita Biose, a proprietress is one of
those really lucky women. Her husband spends every weekend with her and
their son. She told The Nation that “There is not much difference
because we always spend our weekends together. So today is just like any
other day.”
Tessy Aigbokhaode, an Admin Manager with
FUMMAN Juice however said it is her husband who should be happier to
have her at home, since his job is more flexible and she was usually the
absentee. She thus said she was happy for the opportunity to be at home
with the whole family.
Highways of football
For youths and teenagers, it was an
opportunity to play football games on the smooth highways unhindered.
Due to the restriction order on movement, both highways and inner
streets were totally deserted and children, who incidentally were on
holidays, took advantage and transformed the usually busy roads in Lagos
and across major cities in the country to football fields and bicycle
tracks.
14 year-old Emeka Okoro, who was seen
riding his bicycle with his friends along Isolo Road, Lagos told this
reporter that “I am happy today is Election Day and I want everyday to
be like this. We have the roads to ourselves to play ball and ride
bicycle. We played football in the morning and now we’re riding bicycle
in the evening without any disturbance.”
Oluwaseyi Olushola, who will be 15 in
May, said he is always happy when the roads are deserted and his parents
are at home. “I am happy and want everyday to be like this. I am
underage and cannot vote, so I’m seizing the opportunity to play
football with my friends. We cannot play football on the road like this
on a normal day because the roads will be very busy. I am also happy
that my daddy and mummy are home today because they are not usually at
home.”
Another happy boy, Busayo Raheem said:
“I am happy that I can play football on the road today without bothering
about anything or any car coming to disturb. We played football in the
morning and went home to take a rest when the sun came out. We came out
again this evening to play. Any day there is election, like the last
one, we play football like never before. We cannot play on the field
because the big boys are there, so we play on the road.”
Tobi Ayo, another football playing kid
would like every day to be election days: “I want everyday to be
election days so that we are not restricted on where we can set our
posts and play.”
Commercial bike riders too
Curiously, The Nation also encountered
commercial bike-riders, who braved the restriction order to do brisk
business and make quick money.
One of them, who refused to give his
name, and who gave one of The Nation’s reporter a ride on the
Governorship and State House of Assembly Election Day said it was a big
risk but well worth it, as he charged thrice the normal fare for trips.
For the ride between Ikotun and Iyana-Isolo, the riders charged up to
N600 per passenger. This was three times the usual N200 charged for the
route. To top it up, he ferried two passengers at a go, making a
whopping N1,200 on a journey he ordinarily would have made N200.
He also confessed to this reporter that he had already done about ten trips and would continue until the restrictions were over.
Asked how he has managed to evade the
security agencies, the bike-rider said, “I simply turn or veer into any
nearby street once I sight them or I’m told they are at a certain spot.”
First published in The Nation newspapers of 19th April, 2015
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