KWENU! Our culture, our future

Sophisticated election

  

Max Gbanite

maxgbanite@hotmail.com

New Jersey, USA

 

Thursday, July 31, 2003

 

 

I sincerely apologize to readers who have waited so patiently to read my account of what happened in Nigeria on the 12th and 19th of April 2003. Many Internet journalists and writers have given their account of what happened, and what did not happen. Some gave sordid accounts; others gave brilliant accounts of what had happened. Their sources -- for all we can discern -- could be first, second, or even third-rate information based on the write-ups of others. In my own case, what you are about to read is a factual account. I say this because, as they say in Nigeria, I was on the ground. Ask anyone who watched AIT (African Independent Television), and NTA (Nigerian Television Authority) on the days of the elections, they will tell you, “Yes, Mr. Gbanite was one of the analysts.”

 

The apt title for this write-up should have been "Irregularities + Malpractice + Rigging (INEC - I + POLICE + MILITARY + ARMED CULTISTS) x (INTIMIDATION) = Election Victory. " However, due to linguistic space and lack of a better opprobrium, and the sophistication applied by all the contestants as I witnessed, the title changed to ‘Sophisticated election.’

 

Democracy depending on one’s views and the angle of observation, be it participatory or as an umpire, was once defined as “Government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” At least that is what scholars credited to Socrates and/or Pluto as having said, depending on whom you believe. However, what I witnessed in Nigeria on those fateful days was a unique and dynamic rendition of democracy, the type I described on television as “Government of the few, by the elitist thugs, for the people.”

 

Those who benefited from the fallout have since ascribed the words “irregularities” and “malpractice,” but they have denied rigging, intimidation, and subversion as the means of securing their absolute mandate masked as election victory. As we look into what really happened, it is equally imperative that a cursory look is taken at how the major political parties converged, leading us to this day in infamy in the annals of Nigerian history, to paraphrase  President F.D.R. Roosevelt, in describing the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

 

PRE-ELECTION:

The ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under the Chairmanship of Chief Audu Ogbeh, with His Excellency Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (President of Nigeria), and Chief Tony Anenih had organized what many termed an orchestrated party primary held at the Eagle’s Square to select the party’s presidential and vice-presidential flag bearers for the saga of continuity. If not for the divine intervention of the Almighty God, whose angels entered the heart of Alhaji Abubarkar Atiku to prevail on the 17 governors -- who had asked that he backed Chief Alex Ekwueme and drop his boss Obasanjo, the results of the election would have been different, and the history of the country would have also been altered. But, as Supreme Overseer Tunde Bakare prophesied in 2002, we now know that truly a prince from the State of Adamawa saved the day and remained loyal to his boss. However, that primary, as transparent as the ruling party would like Nigerians to believe, was marred with the first stage of ‘irregularities.’ Nevertheless, Obasanjo/Atiku reemerged. The rest, as they say, is history. It is important to note that all the legislative members of the House and Senate who were identified through their fingerprint-carded election slips as having voted against Obasanjo in that primary, were dropped from emerging in their respective constituencies as their people’s representatives, even if they emerged as the choice of their wards/constituencies. This led us to the first practice of ‘selectocratic democracy.’

 

The other parties worth mentioning are All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), Alliance for Democracy (AD), United Nigerian Peoples Party (UNPP), National Democratic Party (NDP), Justice Party (JP), and All Peoples Grand Alliance (APGA). The rest of the twenty-something parties either were formulated out of emotion or were sponsored by the ruling parties as diversionary political forces to further decimate the opportunities or the chances of an effective coalition of opposition. This is a very brilliant tactics credited to Chief Tony Anenih. It worked.

 

The All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) led by Chief Don Etiebet as chairman had the momentum at certain point prior to the election. It had the strong support of Nigerians as an alternative party to the non-performing-ruling party (PDP). But, immediately after the party’s convention primaries, the duo of His Excellency General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), and The Right Honorable Dr. Chuba Okadigbo emerged in what other party stalwarts termed so appropriately ‘malpractice,’ given the fact that Chief Rochas Okorocha, Chief John Nwodo, and other qualified candidates were bypassed when the party held its undemocratic primaries. This singular act of betrayal probably angered the party’s many supporters and the financiers to the point of withdrawal, thus leading to the beginning of inside disloyalty and further dwindling of its purse. Many prominent members of the party cried foul. Some went to court, while others quietly switched to other parties or formed theirs.

 

The Alliance for Democracy, led by its indefatigable Chairman Alhaji Ahmed Abdulkadir, shed the toga of strangulation from Afenifere, the unapologetic ethnocentric association, when the brutally murdered late Attorney General Chief Bola Ige, an erudite scholar of jurisprudence par excellence, chose Abdulkadir (to the consternation of many from the western part of Nigeria, notably the Yoruba) to lead the party to the center of political stage in Nigeria. This was Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola’s dream. Insider’s allege that Chief Bola Ige may have lost his life due to the internal wrangling within Afenifere/Yoruba Elder’s Council on one hand, and the fact that he had resigned his position as the Attorney-General of the federation to seek the mandate of his people for the position of the Presidency on the other hand. The truth, hopefully, will emerge post 2007, after most of the demigods would have relinquished power. It is understood within the corridors of political intelligentsia or, according to Professor Soyinka, that the architects behind the murder would someday be unmasked. We are waiting.

 

Suffice to say that AD serving members of the House/Senate and Governors starved the party of funds, and never quite gave the Chairman the requisite support he needed to move the party forward. Hence, the party became factionalized, causing it to lose its political relevance as a credible opposition party. It is important to note that the party refused to hold any primaries to elect their members, despite the insistence of the party’s National Executive Council (NEC), and numerous overtures made by Alhaji Abdulkadir. It was later learnt that all the serving members of the House/Senate/Governors, at the behest of Afenifere resolved that they must be returned unopposed in the whole western constituencies. This action hurt the party tremendously because some of its members with political ambition quietly decamped to PDP en masse, and they were later used by the PDP machinery to outwit the incumbents, except Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos. Why and how the party opted to support Obasanjo/Atiku ticket as their best option will be elaborated later.

 

The All Progressives Grand Alliance, led by the dynamic Chief Chekwas Okorie, a newbreed politician from Abia axis of the eastern part of Nigeria, didn’t mince words nor surprise his followers when he announced without any credible party convention or primaries that his preference for the party’s presidential ticket belongs to the one and only His Excellency, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the most brilliant and the most articulate of all the candidates. To lift from what he said about Pa Obafemi Awolowo, Odumegwu-Ojukwu is the next best President Nigeria would never have. This singular proclamation with a masquerade attempt to have a national character with the selection of Alhaji Bayero as a running mate didn’t give the party sufficient support it needed to impact on the electorate’s conscience. The mere mention of Ojukwu’s name sends fear and shudder to the security organs within the nation. For those old enough to remember, the toga of Biafra (though 33 years old) was reincarnated. To many would-be supporters from the east, remaining in the center with PDP was considered a better choice than regionalism, resulting in many prominent easterners moving away from the party. Even rich Igbo traders were very frugal with their financial support of the party. The way with which the emergence of Odumegwu-Ojukwu was handled without primaries was seen politically by pundits as undemocratic, and malpractice at best.

 

The United Nigerian Peoples Party (UNPP), led by Alhaji Saleh Jambo, and many supporters of His Excellency General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.) tried unsuccessfully to convince the retired General to come out and contest against his earlier promise and wishes not to contest against his former boss the incumbent President. This protracted delay led to some members like Chief Don Etiebet (ANPP Chairman), and Admiral Augustus Aikhomu (rtd), the current ANPP Chairman of Board of Trustees, to leave the party with other supporters, which resulted in the emergence of Senator Jim Nwobodo as the party’s late-entry presidential flag bearer. The emergence of Nwobodo, who had decamped from PDP, was seen by those loyal to the party as abnormal. This probably caused the party to lose serious credibility amongst its supporters, who felt that Chief Nwobodo was a newcomer without party battle scares to prove his commitment to the party. Whereas these loyalists decry the selection of Chief Nwobodo, they certainly preferred him to the personality of Dr. Chukwemeka Ezeife, a former leader in AD and Senior Presidential Adviser whom it was alleged entered the UNPP primary ground drunk as a skunk.

 

The National Democratic Party was led by Alhaji Abu Fari, who was once a member of National Solidarity Association (NSA), an association that once had other members of UNPP. The emergence of NDP can be attributed to the fractionalization and leadership struggle that besieged NSA at the time. NDP like UNPP were also hoping to draft General Ibrahim Babangida as its presidential flag bearer but, when that failed, the party quickly turned to a PDP decampee, Senator Ike Nwachukwu as the party flag bearer without convention primaries. Alhaji Abu Fari immediately converted himself as the running mate. Many party loyalists saw the emergence of Ike Nwachukwu as a bad choice. They considered the manner with which it was done very undemocratic. Those who couldn’t stomach the idea left to either form their own political organizations or join the existing ones. Though Ike Nwachukwu was seen in certain quarters and marketed as the true bridge across the country by his birth, marriage, and extended family connections, his albatross became his cherished Ndiigbo who had not yet forgiven him for staying on his mother’s side during the war and also for not marrying a wife from within his kin. Hence, his presidential ambition fell like the famed Zeppelin.

 

The Justice Party (JP), led by a former NADECO chieftain, Chief Ralph Obioha, held a party primary without a primary. By his own actions, the Chairman unilaterally picked the disgruntled Reverend Chris Okotie, who left NDP because of the undemocratic way the party chose Nwachukwu, to join a party that committed the same omission of selecting him without party primaries. Many members of the party did not fret about the choice; as a matter of fact, they welcomed Reverend Chris warmly. As later results would prove, God didn’t actually inform the preacher that HE would make him the President, however, his emergence rekindled a new generation interest in what was once termed ‘newbreed’ politicians, and hopefully, in future God might fulfill the prophesy as told by the reverend to Nigerians.

 

Other political parties are not worth being mentioned due to their irrelevance to the mockery that took place. Some of these parties were either in the game to get some money from INEC, or they were placed strategically by the ruling party to deny other relevant opposition groups the opportunity to impact on the outcome of the elections. One party that surprised many people is the National Conscience Party (NCP), led by the erudite attorney Chief Gani Fawehinmi. The party’s lack-luster performance and its failure to impact even in the golden state of Lagos mesmerized many people. At least Gani have seen how people truly love him as the ‘senior advocate of the masses’. His supporters alleged selfishness on his part; they claimed that he formed, registered, funded, and presided over the party, all seen as dictatorial tendency.

 

All said and done, one can begin to discern a well established pattern of irascibility, and reckless attempt with which all the political parties’ presidential candidates emerged. These were the first step towards irregularities, malpractices, and internal riggings that was inevitably magnified during the general elections. For any particular party to accuse Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of massive rigging begrudges the sensibilities of political watcher’s who witnessed the improper emergence of all the flag bearers of note. The role played by INEC, POLICE, MILITARY, and CULTISTS were based on the foundations already established during the selective-primaries or imposition of candidates for lack of a better word. Rick Shuman once said that, “The biggest threat to our well being is the absence of moral clarity and purpose.” This statement could be attributed to all the political parties that emerged to contest the election. They lacked moral clarity, they were inhumane to themselves, they lacked purpose, and above all were bereft of true leadership, given the way all the Presidential candidates emerged.

 

CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES:

The campaign for Aso-Rock started in Ernest when in 1999, immediately after the inauguration of President Obasanjo, the then Minister of Works/Housing, Chief Tony Anenih (popularly called the leader within PDP) averred that there’s no vacancy in Aso-Villa come 2003. Many people including this writer considered the statement then to be absurd. But, today that statement resonates in many peoples ear and has probably earned the man called ‘Mr. Fix it’ a place in the annals of Nigerian politics.

 

To buttress his argument, and garner the support of the party for the incumbent President, Chief Anenih co-opted the support of all the incumbent governors by also stating that they would all be returned unopposed if they gave their support to Obasanjo/Atiku. Well the stage was set for a serious battle of the titans. All the incumbent Governors mustered their resources, financially, and human resources to make sure that this set goal is attained by any means necessary.

 

PDP must be given the credit they deserve for being the only party that seriously campaigned throughout the federation. Their party agents went to all nooks and corner of the country to distribute financial largesse to any takers. The President/Vice-President once made a mistake of having what I called regional rallies within the country, while ignoring non-PDP held states. I questioned, and called the attention of the Party to this strategy on AIT television. My argument then was that the party must canvass for votes all over the federation if they intended to win the votes of the masses. I also posited then that since the party failed to truly deliver any dividends of democracy to the people, they have to seek a new mandate asking Nigerians for forgiveness, and a chance to do better, and to correct their mistakes with fresh mandates. The party machinery must have listened because they re-strategized by making sure that the President and his Vice, including the Party chairman, went to every state in Nigeria.

 

The party truly put a new meaning to the powers of the incumbency. They mollified the populace, and made a mince meat of opposition’s campaign strategies to the extent that no other party could afford the media, transportation and financial support enjoyed by PDP. It’s even alleged within certain circles that PDP created the artificial fuel scarcity within the country then just to prevent other parties from moving around freely. Events that followed immediately after the election (all of a sudden there was availability of fuel), proved the suggestions and allegations. Obasanjo/Atiku were all over the press campaigning, not on their established records because, there was none, however, to inform Nigerians that candidate Buhari is not a true democrat, and that if by any chance he’s elected, that Islamic fanaticism will engulf the nation. As sad as this propaganda was, it made an impact within the electorate. PDP had all the funds, After all, the national budget since 1999 was never implemented, and contractors were not paid; above all, the Nigerian stock exchange, led by tough lady Dr. Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, convinced the corporate bodies in the country to raise funds  and to support Obasanjo/Atiku. Many Banks, fearing reprisals, plunged in excess of 100 million naira each to PDP, whereas none went to ANPP or the other political parties. Call it unfair, if you will, but that is the way it was played in Nigeria… freedom-of-cash expression.

 

The intelligentsia was not lost in this campaign of calumny. They encouraged ethnic sentiments, whilst the Christian clergies and their Islamic counterparts created religious sentiments to a level unseen or heard of before in the country. Unfortunately for ANPP, Buhari could not shake the toga of being seen as a pro-shariaist and an Islamic fanatics. He didn’t help matters when he was quoted by the media of saying that he would scrap NDDC (Niger Delta Development Corporation) if elected the president. This alleged statement did not go down well with the people of South-South region. Besides, his campaign train only made one stop in Lagos, never ventured into any of the western states of Oduduwa republic. Buhari canvassed in the North, but someone in his camp forgot to tell the people that voting on Election Day is more important than attending campaign rallies. To simply say “Sai Buhari” does not win elections. The electorate must be educated on how to vote for their desired candidate. By the time ANPP got to the eastern part of the country, they have run out of steam, money, and character. They did throw in some advertisements on some papers that agreed to carry their ads, but most of the time they were denied access to the national-controlled media such as NTA and Radio Nigeria. Yes, the National Broadcasting Agency paid lip service by screaming foul, and threatening to sanction the offending media houses, but nothing really came out of it. ANPP relied heavily on the disenchantment of Nigerians against PDP for nonperformance; therefore, they could not intensify their assault against the party. But, to their surprise and ultimate disappointment, many people were hungry, and PDP had the money to purchase their votes.

 

Alliance for Democracy never even attempted for once to insert any political advertisement in the national dailies nor on radio and television. The incumbent governors and all their unopposed legislators relied heavily on the (mis)fortunes and advice of Afenifere. They were so confident and complacent to a high pitched level that they arrogantly told their supporters to vote for Obasanjo/Atiku ticket for the Presidency/Vice Presidency slot, and return all AD members back to office unopposed. This decision was against the original plans envisaged by the late Bola Ige and the Party Chairman Alhaji Abdulkadir. However, when the entire AD Governors shouted the Chairman down, he had no choice but to support their strategy. Besides, the Yoruba Elder’s Council (YCE) made sure to convince the voters of the import of returning their son (the incumbent President) back to office, and anything less would not be accepted. PDP in the region even employed the services of the dreaded Oodua Peoples Congress (the militant group currently identified by FAS  as a terrorist organization). These people aided and abetted whatever ingenious plans devised by PDP towards getting and protecting the votes.

 

Meanwhile the disgruntled elements within AD, with the financial support of Chief Olabode George, PDP Vice-Chairman South West, went on grassroots campaign. They convinced their kith and kin that the alliance between PDP and AD means that they should vote en masse for PDP legislative candidates in the zone to forestall any future attempt by ‘the northern elements in the Federal House and Senate  from impeaching President Obasanjo (their son) in the future. They also convinced the people of the nonperformance of all the AD Governors who claim to be adherents of Pa Awolowo’s philosophies. These foot soldiers succeeded indeed, and credit must be given to them and Olabode George for applying his naval intelligence psyops on the people.

 

The rest of the parties were mere sitting ducks whose campaigns were invisible or immaterial. They lost focus, and they had no money to venture or even match the billions spent by PDP. By estimation, and according to financial experts, the money (billions) spent by PDP during the election would have been enough to resuscitate all the refineries in the country, rebuild all the federal roads that needed repairs,  improve the salaries in and infrastructures of our ailing universities -- averting the six-month strike of ASUU, and improve electricity supplies and portable water to the masses.

 

PDP’s campaign strategy overmatched, overwhelmed, and crushed that of any existing party by any form or shape. I doff my hat to those charged with the responsibility of creating such an effective job. The way I saw it, even if PDP did not rig the election, Obasanjo/Atiku would have still won the election against any other presidential flag bearer. The fallout would have amounted to PDP losing some key states in the Southeast and South-South.

 

ACTUAL ELECTION:

Before the legislative elections held on April 12th, a birthday party to celebrate the 50th birthday of Adams Oshimhole, the compromised Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) President, was held in his village. The keynote speaker was the vociferous Reverend Father Matthew Kukah. While giving his speech the famed priest raised a sign that read "4-19." In his speech,  he cautioned that Nigerians must be vigilant on that day in particular, since it’s the infamous date for the presidential/gubernatorial elections. That date has since been identified as the date INEC, in collaboration with the Police, the Military, and Student Cultists, allowed PDP to perpetrate ‘419’ electoral fraud on the people of Nigeria.

 

I was an unpaid analyst inside the Abuja Television Studio of African Independent Television (AIT), courtesy of a distinguished, brilliant, straightforward, and detribalized moderator, Mr. Marc Amarere. He had other guest analysts coming in and out of the studio. However, I was extended the privilege to stay as a co-analyst with him. We received live telephone commentaries and voters' reports from all the 36 states of the federation where AIT had their correspondence reporters stationed. We also had the opportunity to interview representatives of election monitors of Transitional Monitoring Group (TMG), a body of coalition groups numbering over 60,000 people spread all over the federation to monitor the polling stations. We also had some representatives of the European Union. Other observer groups called  the studio to give us live commentaries on what they witnessed from their observation posts.   

 

Based on every report received, there was evidence of massive election irregularities, malpractices, and outright rigging by the ruling party, aided  and abetted by the Police, SSS, the Military and, in some states, university cultists. Above all, officials of INEC were heavily involved in the malfeasance. The irony of it all was the killing of innocent people mostly in South-East and South-South zones of the federation. There were areas where election material never arrived, yet INEC announced results! There were other places where INEC polling officers arrived 10-15 minutes before the closure of a polling station to set up their booths. There were other places where political thugs hijacked the ballot boxes outright, had them stuffed right within the watchful eyes of the police, and the police even helped to stuff the boxes. There are other places where live snakes were used by thugs to distract voters, allowing the thugs the opportunity to cart away the ballot box to secret locations, where stuffing took place. Incidents of dynamite explosives,and gun shots were reported more in the South-East and South-South. Incidentally, what was once known as the "Wild Wild West" was the most peaceful zone, and I truly commend the Yoruba people for showing remarkable docility during and after the election. This may truly be recognized as a new dawn in their strategic approach to democratization.

 

The North -- with the exception of Plateau, Nassarawa, and Benue States -- recorded no violence at all; they voted with dignity and maturity. Though rigging was also recorded in the zone, prompting Alhaji Wada Nas to christen the election process “voter allocation” by INEC, acting on behalf of the ruling party. It’s also important to note that ANPP also participated in the rigging, especially in the states they control. AD on the other hand was overwhelmed by what the former AD Governor Adefarati referred to as “superior forces.” The other parties were either not visible or were ultimately banished and later allocated some votes by INEC just to keep a straight face of inclusiveness.

 

POST ELECTION TRAUMA:

For the third time in Nigeria’s history, a successful transition from civilian to civilian election was executed, the first being in 1963, and the second was in 1983. However, there’s a strong similarity between the election of April 2003 and that of 1983, when Alhaji Shehu Shagari reemerged the winner. That similarity was called ‘rigging’ by the Nigerian media and opposition groups like Action Group. As a matter of fact, it was the refusal by Action Group to accept defeat in Oyo, and Ondo States that truncated that republic. However, the April election was referred to as ‘election marred with irregularities and malpractices’ by the same media. The same western zone of the federation that transformed itself from Action Group to Alliance for Democracy, surprisingly, and to the shock of the nation, suffered a devastating defeat in the hands of PDP and accepted it fate as act of God. Well, it’s good for the future of democracy in Nigeria. However,  people from other parts of the country wonder if such complacent attitude would have been tolerated had the PDP flag bearer not hail from that zone. The answer will eventually manifest in 2007 election when the candidates would practically hail from other parts of the country. I commend the people for their parochial approach to politics. In 1999, they were accused of not voting for their son Obasanjo, when the rest of the country voted for him. Well, to answer their critics, this writer included, this time around they voted for their son. So why should they be blamed again?

 

The sorry aspect of it all was that Buhari and Ojukwu never stood a chance. They couldn’t even count on getting a combined vote of 600 from the entire west. Why should they? They never went to the zone to campaign for reasons best known to them. But, on the other hand, the North gave Obasanjo/Atiku 12 states; the East and South-South gave Obasanjo/Atiku 75% of their votes (courtesy of INEC allocation). This combined act by the North and the East showed that they can vote for leaders from other parts of the country other than their own. Besides, Obasanjo/Atiku sought their support by visiting the zones at least twice before the election. Granted that the ruling party rigged the election, those who feel deprived must seek redress through the election tribunal and,  if they don’t get justice there, they should go to the Court of Appeals. If justice doesn’t come from the Appeal Courts, they should kindly go to the Supreme Court. But, why waste all that time and money? Those who lost the election should sincerely look themselves in the mirror and ask a simple question: How did I emerge as a candidate; was my emergence through fair elections? They will obviously find out that they contributed to this national disgrace.

 

If the opposition will take time to rethink and retrace their steps, they will find out that the solution to the imbroglio we have today is to plan ahead for year 2007, excogitate ways to prevent the rigging of 2003 election from repeating itself, After all, what is eight years in the life of a nation. For me the trauma of the rigging was evident at the inauguration ground (Eagles Square) on May 29 2003. While giving commentary for the same AIT, one could easily discern an uneasiness with which both the President and the Vice-President took their oaths of office. Eagle Square was filled to capacity. Half of those in attendance were security operatives charged with the responsibility of dealing with any threat perceived, especially with the calling for mass action against PDP by the duo of Buhari and Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

 

What I saw on that day was a far cry from the sumptuousness that greeted the same occasion in 1999, when we had well over 50 Presidents from different countries around the world;  most notable amongst them were Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Prince Charles, Jacques Chirac, and the Canadian Prime Minister. Security was virtually nonexistent because there was no threat, and the election of that era was marred with minimal rigging. However, the inauguration this time boasted of only 15 heads of states, mostly African despots like Mugabe, Eyadema, and others. I even wonder if those that came would have been there had it not been that Nigeria asked Algeria for the rights to host the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD), which took place a day before the inauguration.

 

The bubble is beginning to burst with the recent inconsistent behavior of Ndiigbo,. but consistent for some shameless people of Anambra State, especially members of PDP. This certainly sets the Igbo agenda for Presidency backwards. Ndiigbo are on record as the first group in Nigeria to have had three Senate Presidents’ in two years. They were the first to militarily take over a civilian government in the country, and today can be credited with what everyone has condemned as the second civilian coup in the country; the first took place in the west (courtesy of Pa Awolowo).

 

No matter what happens in Nigeria today, the advent of civilian-led, organized, and practiced democracy is still better than a military take over. Those who would want the military brass to come back against the backdrop of rigged election may think that it’s their right to wish so but, as for the rest of Nigerians, Obasanjo/Atiku’s mandate is clearly a mandate of trial and error, and must be allowed to proceed to its fullest term which expires in 2007.

 

If Nigerians could not protect the ballot boxes from thugs during the election, they may as well not be able to protect democracy if the military ventures back into power. The truth of the matter is that Nigerians have clearly demonstrated that there’s an emergence of realigned thinking towards democracy. The fact that all the parochial regional associations, like Afenifere, Ohanaeze, Arewa Consultative Forum failed to dictate and influence the pattern of their people’s votes is a testament to this new political order.

 

My hopes for 2007 are that the group of Patriots, those septuagenarians, all retires above the age of 70 (men and women), the clergies, and their Islamic counterparts should risk their lives for the next generation Nigerians by protecting the ballot boxes against political thugs, be it the Police, Military, and cultists bent on being used by politicians to rig the elections. Unfortunately, these old men in their seventies even want to outlive their grandchildren. They feel denied of the opportunity to reap the fruits of their labor; especially with the incessant delays and outright denial of their pensions, who would blame them.

 

The youths of today have become hopelessly hopeless to the extent that for a mere five hundred naira you can have your perceived opposition eliminated and, for ten thousand naira, the package would include all his relatives. This attitude evincing brutality has to be stopped at al levels.

 

INEC also needs to explain to Nigerians how they were able to discredit over 2 million registered voters through the use of their fingerprint identification machines, but refused to use the same machine to determine if allegations by other parties against PDP’s usage of Policemen, SSS, and the Military in the stuffing of ballot boxes, and in some cases stuffing of ballot boxes with unaccredited voter slips, are true. Failure to follow their own established rules clearly indicates that the election was indeed a ‘sophisticated election’ designed to favor only the ruling party. The only two states INEC and PDP could not collaboratively exploit were Lagos and Kano States. If they dared, the nation would have disintegrated by now.

 

The issue today is simple: Can President Obasanjo and Vice-President Atiku deliver this time? If they fail to give Nigerians the much needed democratic dividends, the chances of PDP coming back in 2007, even with all the riggings in the world, would be resisted by the people. The duo are in an unenviable position today. They can no longer blame their failure to perform on late General Sani Abacha. They have the majority of the House at their disposal, so they can amend all they want on the Constitution to suit their whims because the onus to perform is greater today than it was yesterday. Let them not think that because ‘Yesterday was Silent’ (apologies to Prof. Chudi Uwazurike) that tomorrow would equally be silent and unchallenged.

 

Long live democracy, and long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

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