NOT YET UHURU!
|
|
By Che Oyinatumba
|
|
The Court of
Appeal with her judgment on Kogi gubernatorial election has added rhyme to the
rhythm of dethroned governors. If Peter Obi of Anambara is added to the fray,
about six governors have gone down the drain. Five were edged out on
technicalities, while Governor Chime of Enugu state, lost out as a result of
substantial rigging and non compliance with the electoral act and massive
absence of voters to justify the votes accredited to Chime and PDP.
It is now a judicial precedent that once a candidate validly returned to the
INEC by his political party, is excluded, any subsequent election without the
said candidate, is void-able. The case of Abuja senatorial seat, is another case
that should give the numerous challengers to INEC/PDP paddy-paddy arrangement a
cause for refreshment. ANPP won the election under questionable circumstance in
which observers claimed was a show of who had more violence at his command. The
wise PDP, not wanting the international observers to point to the seat of
governance as a microcosmic example of the happenings in the macro (whole) of
Nigeria during the election, allowed ANPP to out tug them. But nemesis at the
door in the person of APGA deflected this victory in FCT. APGA’s logo and
candidate was excluded from the ballot paper. Although APGA stands no chance
going by her decimal showings in her south east base, but who says a cripple can
not fall a giant?
Despite these bold interpretations by the judiciary, the Nigerian political
class is yet to cash in and deliver the desired goodies of democracy to the
hungry and dying Nigerians. The inability of the political class of ride this
wave of judicial upheaval, is as a t\result of the dearth of opposition. Since
the untimely intervention of the military into Nigerian political journey to no
where, the political landscape is full of epileptic attack on the government in
power. The attacking party merely seeks for recognition and when this is
acknowledged by appointment of party stalwarts into the boards, commissions, the
opposition caves in and a new nomenclature appears on the lexicon-Government of
National Unity. This politics of opportunism, has robbed Nigerian democracy the
needed knocks and checks that would have seen her firmly footed. It is as a
result of this that through out the eight years of PDP in power, the only
opposition was a disfranchised marginalized group within the PDP. Other
social-cultural clubs masquerading as political parties went cap in hand begging
for ministerial appointment in PDP, even when one of there chiefs was thrown
from ministry of Justice through other lesser portfolio to where he met his
death, the "opposition" did not see anything wrong with the emerging political
quagmire.
Another opportunity provided itself when the Easterners deemed it fit to have
all the five eastern states produce the Senate President. The opposition failed
to make maximum capital of this disarray and obvious lack of leadership
qualities by the party in power. A bull’s eye opportunity came with the tenure
elongation. The only opposition was the PDP elements who rightly calculated that
should OBJ remain in power, it may never get to their turn to be president,
governor, senator etc. Hence Atiku Abubakar became over-night democrat and a
rallying point for the opposition against OBJ. Even season NADECO Bola Tinubu
decamped into Atiku bandwagon. Mind you it was this same Atiku who in 2003,
refused to wave the magic wand and emerged singing "continuity" to the shame of
some governors who were hell bent to give the then incumbent a run for his
money.
General Buhari, who showed commitment, lost steam after the court maintained
that there was rigging but not massive enough to affect the out come of the 2003
(s)election. Instead of building a formidable opposition towards 2007 election,
Buhari went gallivanting with Mike Ahamba SAN muscling his way with ANPP
governors and imposed himself as the flag bearer. Ahamba should have remaineds
in Imo State and build an indefatigable opposition. I guess Buhari and Ahamba
have learnt a few civilianization lessons from the old foxes in ANPP epitomized
in Umezoke and the hard truth that in politics, there is no permanent friend or
enemy but permanent interest. And in Nigeria, the permanent interest is who
controls the distribution of oil. For Buhari, history beckons as the court has
adjourned for ruling. Should Yar’Adua be sent packing, between Atiku and Buhari,
who will Nigerian’s choose? The goodwill Yar’Adua, despite his go-slow and
indecisive approach to National issues, has garnered as a result of dismantling
OBJ’s later day structures, makes him a willing bride to the political naive
electorates.
Has Buhari built an opposition in the wake of his Supreme Court victory,
Nigerian masses would have been singing eureka with every dismantling
pronouncement of the election tribunals. But here we are marooned, knowing that
Audu is not better than Ibro. Or is an Atiku presidency any better than OBJ’s.
or an Ararume/ Bethel candidature better than Achike Udenwa. Uch Onye Agocha and
his pro-democracy/humanright community has failed to galvanize the anti
establishment feelings in Imo State into an electoral issue and enthrone an
alternative. Same applies in Edo State, where the NLC hard man, whom the masses
saw as alternative to Obasanjo, especially during the anti-petrol prize hike
struggle.
A golden opportunity has thrown itself again. How we use this will determine
whether Nigeria will be among the league of democratic nations or remain a
beggar nation, a giant of Africa with the foot print of an ant.
To speedily redeem Nigeria from this, all political parties who are favoured by
these judicial windfalls should publish their manifesto, which must be radically
different from that of the PDP. They should go to the grassroots and canvass why
they should be elected to replace the booted out PDP. If they care to listen,
there is a political apathy in the land and the average Nigerian, rightly, does
not see anything different between a David Mark and Young Alahaji, a Arthur
Nzeribe and Osita Izunazu, a Sani Yerema and Mantu. Just compare and you will se
why there is apathy in the land.
Another group upon whose shoulder rests the faith of Nigeria, is the post cold
war spy agencies. These agencies parade themselves as NGO. These NGOs are
encouraged by the Western government to spite African government that African
governments have failed to provide dividend of good governance, hence a
non-governmental organization is an alternative. Most of these NGOs are one man
show! The donor agencies does not care about the social impact of most of these
mushrooming NGOs, so long as they, provide indices to be quoted in IMF,
Transparency, UNPD reports, retire the dollars given to them and have a video
clip justifying the purported conference to address rural problems. (most of
these rural targeted programmes are done in five star hotels at the heart of the
city). Until the NGOs start a home grown sourcing of founds and engage the
politicians, Nigeria will remain a post script in democratic discourse. The
fire-brigade attitude of these NGOs, especially those who have saddled
themselves with the task of monitoring elections and pro-democracy activities,
is a shame. As Machiavelli advices, a prince should study war in time of peace,
these pro-democracy NGOs, should start now to educate the electorates, establish
a democracy centre and not to merely rush to AIT’s Focus Nigeria and other TV
political platforms a week to election to demand for outpouring of electorates
and demand that they defend their votes.
There is disarray in the political landscape, things are no longer at ease but
the grounded with a steady aim can nail an eleke nti oba, (sparrow)who has
refused to petch since men have learnt to shoot without missing.All meaningful
Nigerians and friends of Nigeria, who desires the best of democracy for the
oppressed and wretched of Nigeria, should join in the battle to have the
people’s will prevail in these bye elections. The alacrity, with which these
dethroned governors are running to Court of Appeal, shows that they never had
the mandate of the people. Why not abandon appeal and re-present themselves to
the people for a fresh mandate? Why in Enugu, where ebe ano, thank God Enugu is
working, is no longer a spell, the governor who is estranged with his godfather
is wasting state’s fund running to appeal?
Furthermore, the infamous professor Maurice Iwu and his instrument of
disaster-INEC should not be allowed to conduct these bye elections. All INCE
Resident Commissioners in any state that the tribunal has upturned the election,
should be removed and deployed to another state or where INEC is deeply
indicted, such Resident Commissioner should be dismissed from office without
anyy intitlement
|
|
