A KINGDOM WHERE WILD ANIMALS HAVE BANK ACCOUNTS by SHABA Mafu.

The animal Kingdom has been birthed among the citizens in Nigeria. It is a new kingdom where strange things happen.  A novel idea of those neck-deep in corruption has been crafted, such that best exists in fairy tales. The mysterious attachment to this new-found trade is chilling. In George Orwell’s ANIMAL FARM which was first published as far back as 17^th August, 1945, the main characters of that book were never figured as interacting with money, not much even as having Bank Accounts. Napoleon and Snowball, and the ever-compliant hardworking Boxer, with Moses were not as inventive as the Nigerian animals of the present time. The Russian animals did not have poisoned brains like those Nigerian animals which swallow money with great ease of taste.

The creation of this novel Kingdom was first witnessed in the present government of President Buhari when men must devise every means to cheat on the society to survive.  In Benue State, the sum of N36Million was said to have been swallowed by a snake. The money was the proceeds from the sales of the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) scratch cards. Following the innovation brought by the Head of that Body, Professor Is-haq Olarewaju Oloyede, stopping the regime of the use of scratch cards, directed the reconciliation of Account of JAMB in the previous sales of the cards. But In Makurdi, Benue State of Nigeria, some employees of JAMB reportedly connived with a snake to defraud the parastatal of the hitherto said sum. In an enquiry into the whereabouts of this huge sum of money, a JAMB clerk named Philomina Chieshe could not account for it. In her watery defence when questioned, the said Chieshe accused her housemaid of connivance with another JAMB staff, a colleague of hers, Joan Asen of stealing the money through spiritual means. It was a mammoth mysterious snake employed to swallow the money. The Snake must have been told the location of the office where the money was kept and patiently swallowed the dry papers (currency) to the tune of N36Million. and conveniently glided away to base, like the ancient serpent that occasioned Eve’s fall.

When the snake came to the office, it did not swallow the conspicuous Attendance Register. The office files were left untouched but in its ancient spiritual wisdom it easily identified the naira notes and carefully swallowed the neatly arranged piles of notes in a way they could be vomited for use when prompted.

In a similar angle, few months after the Snake episode in Benue State, it appeared the news of the N36Million spread among the Animal Kingdom like harmattan fire. This time it was the turn of the gorillas, the same family with the monkeys and the chimpanzees. But in strict comparism, it appeared the snake with its natural subtlety was defter in stealing higher volumes of notes than the amateurish gorilla. In Kano State of Nigeria, a gorilla was alleged to have swallowed N6.8Million. This time around, the animal stole this money in his ‘natural’ habitat, the zoo. So, it was easier since it must be a familiar terrain. The Kano Zoological Gardens lost this money to the gorilla during the recent Sallah break. The gorilla positioned himself strategically to ensure that the gate fees paid by the tourists to the zoo were quickly swallowed before the humans would restrict him, after all, he can’t be in the zoo and would not display some traits of the animals he is cohabiting with, particularly in the lifestyle of grand corruption.

The gorilla swallowed N6.8Million, while the snake swallowed N36Million. So these animals in the new.ly established Animal Kingdom have swallowed a cumulative sum of N42.8Million within a year. I hope very soon, animals will not take over as Directors of these government parastatals while the humans become the subordinates – the reign of penetrative and overwhelming corruption!

I personally urge the government of Kano State to thoroughly investigate the case of the theft in the zoo by the gorilla and get the identity of this gorilla. The gorilla must have been on the payroll of the State government with the common Identity card of the Staff of the Kano Zoological Gardens. The gorilla must have an accommodation in the zoo of the corrupt and needs to be fished out. This animal has several huge Bank Accounts that normal humans  may not boast of. They must all be traced by his Bank Verification Number. Much money must have been swallowed by this gorilla and its offspring in the office, besides the one discovered.

As for the N36Million swallowed by the Snake, JAMB should get the snake arrested and a surgical operation performed on it by the glittering surgical knife of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. It should be taught an eternal lesson that snakes have no business with humans, not to talk more of swallowing money kept in the offices of government establishments. When has snakes begun spending money in the Animal kingdom? Since the clerk, Chieshe and Joan Asen are identifiable by their names, the snake (their accomplice) can be identifiable as well.. The trio should be subjected to unhindered investigation. Let the Bank Account of the Snake be thoroughly scrutinized, while the stolen funds be permanently forfeited and returned to JAMB. The accomplices of the snake, as well as the snake itself, must face prosecution. I am very convinced that Chiese should know where the snake lives. They must have had several meals together as a syndicate.

If this dirty and shameful trend is not nipped in the bud by a decisive action of the government, in no time mysterious rabbits, squirrels, antelopes, frogs, hawks, even earthworms will soon invade federal establishments swallowing millions of Naira. What is currently in Nigeria could have been best told in fairy tales; and when they are being told, inquisitive children would even ask with all mustered curiosity of how animals could cheaply swallow dry papers in volumes of millions. Unfortunately, this is not a fairy tale. It is the reality in Nigeria. What a shame to a people who have no dint of conscience remaining in them in the discharge of national duty!

JUNE 12 MEMORIAL: THE BUILDING OF A POLITICAL ALTAR IN NIGERIA by SHABA Mafu.

The 1993 Election Monitoring Body, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) headed by Professor Humphrey Nwosu had registered many political parties in his wisdom to let loose the democratic space for the ever bubbling Nigerian populace who were very active in politics and politicking to freely decide their political future. But the then Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida who has primed and prided himself as the ‘Evil Genius’ had another agenda in mind. He collapsed the political parties into two by fiat. The two parties were obviously divided, and intended along ethnic lines or regional lines, but his scheming failed in that wise. The two parties were the Social Democratic Party with Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, popularly known as MKO, as the presidential candidate, while Ambassador Babagana Kingibe was his running mate. The other party, the National Republican convention (NRC), ordinarily viewed as having a northern connotation had the hitherto unknown and politically-amateur Alhaji  Bashir Tofa as its presidential candidate.

The campaigns went on with all zeal and zest. The enthusiasm to boot out the military rule was ubiquitous in the minds of most Nigerians at the time. Chief MKO Abiola – a muslim from the South West Nigeria, a philanthropist, was the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party. Ambassador Kingibe was also a muslim from the Northern extraction. It was a muslim-muslim ticket for the SDP. Nobody whipped up religious or ethnic sentiments in the 1993 general elections because of the common desire to end the military misrule in Nigeria. The electorates voted massively, enthusiastically and unreservedly. The election was adjudged the best election ever conducted in Nigeria. The election took place on June 12, 1993. Abiola polled 8,341,309 votes (58.36%), while Tofa polled 5, 952,087 (41.64%) - that was the result that was never officially declared by NEC.

As Nigerians waited eagerly for the results to roll out drums for the celebrations, the enemy of democracy, like the Biblical Haman concocted some evil plot to ensure that the joy of Nigerians was broken. One Arthur Nzeribe formed a group called the Association  for Better Nigeria (ABN) and went to Court to obtain an injunction restraining  the NEC from continuing the announcements of the election results. In collaboration with the political murderer, General Babangida, in his greatest display of hypocrisy complied with the Court injunction as ordered by late Justice Bassey Ikpeme. Babangida unilaterally stopped further announcements of results by NEC, and annulled the entire elections on the 23^rd of June, 1993. This evil act sparked spontaneous and unilateral protests all over the country, until the government began to import ethnic colourations to the entire phenomenon. To perpetrate the struggle, some eminent Nigerians formed a political pressure group. This was basically to actualize the June 12 election and to swear-in the winner, Chief MKO Abiola as the elected President of Nigeria. The pressure group was known as the National Democratic Coaltion (NADECO). The frontiers of that group was late Chief Anthony Enahoro, late Abraham Adesanya, late Chief Bola Ige, Ayo Adebanjo, Ayo Opadokun, Admiral Babatunde Elegbede, Polycap Nwite, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Odigie Oyegun, Chief Olu Falae, Toyin Onagoruwa, Kudirat Abiola, among other great Nigerians.

General Babangida did all within his powers to puncture the intents of NADECO by bringing in Chief Ernest Shonekan, a man from the same ethnic extraction of Abiola. He came to power as the leader of an interim government from 26^th August 1993 to November 17, 1993. General Sani Abacha (late ) overthrew the government of Shonekan on November 17, 1998. The looter and political scoundrel in the person of Abacha consolidated the annulment of the June 12 elections, by hurling Chief MKO Abiola into prison and making sure he drove most of the NADECO members into exile.. Abacha eventually died on the 8^th of June, 1998, while Abiola followed him closely on the 7^th July 1998.

General Abdulsalam Abubakar came up, and in collaboration with other politically exposed people brought General Olushegun Obasanjo (retd) who was hitherto hurled into prison by Abacha, for alleged treasonable offence, in 1995 to contest in the 1999 general elections. Obasanjo contested the presidential elections under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and won. From General Obasanjo through Alhaji Yar Adua (of blessed memory) to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, the PDP enjoyed sixteen unbroken years of rulership of Nigeria. Unfortunately, none of these presidents who rode on Abiola’s back to become what they were, was ever comfortable when Abiola’s name was mentioned. They all stuck to May 29^th, a day that has no historical value and significance in Nigeria’s political history.  They all refused to acknowledge June 12 as the authentic Democracy Day. A day democracy was buried alive in Nigeria by General Babangida.

But like the thunderbolt from the blues, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, a man from the Northern extraction, first apologized to the family of late Chief MKO Abiola for the injustice done to the late man and his family by the State. The apology was extended to Nigerians who voted overwhelmingly but had their hopes dashed. General Babangida who annulled the elections is still alive and never showed any remorse till eternity. General Obasanjo, the primary beneficiary of the struggles of Chief MKO still hated Abiola’s struggles till now. President Buhari did not stop at apologizing for the crime he did not commit, he went further to declare JUNE 12 every year as the DEMOCRACY DAY in Nigeria. This is a very correct move and must be applauded by all. This is practically bridge-building, manifest national-healing, and political sagacity from a man unprovokedly  hated by some Nigerians.. President Buhari took a further step to rename the Abuja national Stadium after Abiola. It is to be known and called as MKO ABIOLA STADIUM, from henceforth. Die-hard critics of Buhari like Reno Omokri, a very fine gentleman, and Femi-Fani Kayode, a young brilliant writer hailed this singular move by President Buhari.

I am not surprised to see people like the self-righteous Chief Obasanjo and the Atiku taking ill by this great move of President Buhari.

The declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day with particular recognition of Chief MKO Abiola is like erecting a political altar of eternal memorial in the politics of Nigeria. The recognition of June 12 is not only for late Chief MKO, but an implied recognition of all lovers and fighters for democracy especially in the dark days of Generals Babangida and late General Sani Abacha. People like the erudite Professor Wole Soyika, all NADECO members (dead, and living) are all by this singular action of the APC government and Buhari, honoured to the Heavens.

Never again should Nigerians allow such political profligacy, impunity and greed as exercised by Babangida, Arthur Nzeribe, Sani Abacha and all traducers to repeat itself in the political experiment of Nigeria. Nigeria is greater than any individual, and must so be upheld.

I stand unequivocally with President Buhari and the APC government in recognizing the June 12. I also stand with those who were massacred by the Armoured Tanks of IBB as a result of their protests and struggles for the actualization of the June 12, 1993 elections. Their deaths are not in vain. To me, on June 12 we stand as the federal government is poised to scrap May 29^th as a public holiday and replaces it with June 12 which shall be observed as a public holiday henceforth.

THE OSUN STATE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION ADJUDICATION PROCESSES AND THE ACT OF DANCING IN TURNS by SHABA Mafu

His customized cap hung firmly on his head with accustomed ease. He moved his strong bones with the flexibility of a woman in his dancing spree. It was time for jubilation over the electoral victory at the tribunal. This is the dancing Senator, Ademola Adeleke. He won the victory of the electoral tussle at the tribunal sitting in Osogbo which delivered judgment in his favour on the 22nd of March, 2019. But to the utmost chagrin of the jubilant Senator, he did not know that joy has a slender body that breaks too soon. This is the present status of his political travail.

The Osun State gubernatorial election was conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun State on the 22^nd of September, 2018. The election was won by Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as declared by the electoral Umpire, the INEC.  The result was flatly rejected by the governorship candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke and his political party, the Peoples Democratic Party. They cited irregularities and outright connivance of the electoral Body with the governing APC at the elections. In the elections, Ademola claimed he won the first round before INEC declared it inconclusive and ordered a supplementary election in the seventeen Units cancelled polls. This took place on the 27^th of September, 2018. Consequently, the results of the re-run election added to the first round, produced the APC candidate, now the Governor as the winner of the election.

Ademola and the PDP gravely dissatisfied, headed for the tribunal. The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal awarded victory to Senator Ademola and the PDP in its ruling. They cited that there was no need for the re-run elections that held after the first round of elections, and therefore nullified all the results from the 27 polling units where the re-run was conducted. On the strength of this judgment,  Ademola was declared the winner of the election. Expectedly, he dusted more of his caps in anticipation of resumption of duty as the Governor of the great State of Osun.

Ademola himself, his supporters and his political party, the PDP rolled out drums on the streets of the ancient but glorious streets of Osun State. Senator Ademola went berserk as he temporarily forgot his esteemed status in the society being a distinguished Senator of a great country called Nigeria. He twisted his heavy trunk with the ease of a regular drunkard in the village. He laughed and smiled alternately with the entire mandibles at the mercy of the scorching sun. His hands and legs moved perfectly to the rhythm of the music as his rotund stomach was not left out of this magical twist. He exuded joy! Of the truth, Senator Ademola Adeleke is a very good dancer who knows how to express moments of joy within reasonable limit.

The newly sworn Governor, Adetogboyega Oyetola must have withdrawn to his cyst because of the shock of the tribunal judgment on the election. His eyes must have welled up with tears as he would soon pack home from the office already adorned with his official pictures neatly carved with sophisticated artistry. But his party, the APC vowed to challenge the judgment of the Tribunal at the Appeal court. Off they went. It was the antidote that punctured his swelling emotions.

On Thursday, 9^th May, 2019, the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja in a 4-1 Panel judgment repealed the judgment of the Tribunal.  They cited that the absence of Justice Obiora at the Tribunal on the 6^th February, 2019, who eventually read the lead judgment of the tribunal, was an aberration and therefore held that his absence alone nullifies the entire proceeding of the case. The Appeal Court also held that the nullifying of the 27^th September, 2018 supplementary election was wrong. It  also pointed to  the tribunal that the absence of the records of usage of ballot papers and other details on Form EC8A, the result sheets in 17 polling Units where the polls were cancelled by the Tribunal was not an issue of non-compliance that should warrant the deductions of votes polled by the APC and the PDP in those Units. The Appeal Court on these grounds declared the judgment of the Tribunal as a nullity while ceding the victory to the incumbent Governor Oyetola Gboyega.

Oyetola, in the circumstance rolled out his drums in his area of major influence in the State. It was the turn of APC, the supporters and the Governor to dance. At the Tribunal level, PDP and Ademola danced. At the Appeal Court level, the baton of dancing was handed to APC and Oyetola. It is turn by turn at each stage. Yes! that is the style of Nigerian judicial system. No uniform outlook on matters like this. The Electoral Act is probably only to conduct elections. Subsequent issues arising thereafter are left to the power of argument and citations of the lawyers and the discretion of the Judges at different levels of adjudication.

PDP has danced. APC is presently dancing. It is a common saying that “he who laughs last, laughs best”. In this case, who danced last, would dance best. The PDP and Ademola have vowed to challenge the judgment of the Appeal court at the Supreme court. We would not know who will dance last. I think PDP would have danced with caution and not acted like the proverbial antelope who danced himself lame while the main dance was yet to come. APC should dance with caution. The Supreme court judgment is clearly unpredictable, just as it is generally in the Nigerian judicial system. The funniest aspect of all these is that the Supreme Court alone has the supreme wisdom and knows all things in judicial matters. They are never wrong! So the judgment of the Supreme court shall be binding on the winner or loser of the gubernatorial case in Osun State.

The Nigerian judicial system makes both appellants and defendants dance turn by turn as the case goes higher and higher, until the final and ultimate dancer emerges.

BAYELSA STATE LEGISLATURE AND THEIR LIFE PENSIONS BILL PROPOSAL by SHABA Mafu

I read with utter consternation the frivolous demand of the Bayelsa State members of the House of Assembly advocating for life pensions bill for ex-members as part of the juice to be placed on the political table in that glorious State of Bayelsa. To demonstrate their high level of their low-thinking, they went as far as asking for a compelling amount of Five-hundred thousand Naira monthly pension for ex-Speakers and some other provocative amounts to the Deputy-speakers and ordinary members of the House after their retirement from “meritorious service” of the State spanning a paltry period of eight years of sometimes unproductive and less impactful activities.

This irrational demand is purely in contrast with the ethos of democratic practice which is representation of the people purposely for their welfare and security. The essence of political representation is not for exploitation of the masses from vantage position as demonstrated by these Bayelsan legislatures. The members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly have acted in deliberate aberration; an action diametrically opposed to common sense in governance and tenets of democracy.

The response and reaction of the Governor of the State, Seriake Dickson is worth commending. It gives a spark of hope that we still have reasonable people in the midst of those infested with moral meningitis. The Governor flatly rejected this anti-people and disgraceful proposed bill. He would in the final analysis have assented to the bill if it was passed, but he rejected it with all sense of responsibility and moral decency. He was actually the medical personnel that aborted the ill-conceived proposed bill by legislative prostitutes.

Another great Bayelsan of repute is the ever-bubbling Comrade Eva, an activist of the Niger-Delta extraction. He lambasted the obnoxious bill of these legislatures. His anger was so clearly manifested that he recommended public flogging of these greedy and childish politicians at one of the river fronts in Bayelsa State. He berated them that those who did not even know how the State was created wanted to use the opportunity as public officers to reap where they did not sow He further stated that carrying placards to denounce this disdainful act was not enough to contain the pettiness of these car-boy politicians (so Comrade Eva called them) but insisted on an opprobrium on them. He defended such treatment as a legacy which the upcoming Bayelsan politicians, and by extension the politicians from the Niger Delta would learn from and take caution.

The proposed bill of these greedy politicians calls for complete condemnation by all well-meaning people of Bayelsa State and Nigeria at large. Some State Governors in Nigeria are shamelessly owing their workers as much as twelve months salaries, and the pensioners owed as much as over 30 months pensions, and gratuities. On the contrary, those who claim to represent the masses are there working out their ill-fated pensions design with their own selfish template, besides their fat salaries they do not ordinarily qualify or work for.

There are some states where the cumulative amount of both the State Bond and the statutory Retirement Savings Account of the Contributory Pension Scheme is paltry Four Million Naira. If such a retiree opts for Programmed Withdrawal or Annuity, as the case may be, being their pension payment option, such pensioner would be placed on ridiculous pensions with attendant multiplier effect of poverty. The monthly pension for some of the pensioners  who had served a State for 35 years is nothing but an advanced programmed poverty. A Speaker who may have cornered himself to be one, is proposing to earn as much as N500,000 per month as his monthly pension upon his exit as a Speaker. This is daylight robbery and outright exploitation of the already impoverished tax payers.

The Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, Civil Society Organizations, Rights activists should raise their voices against this and similar obnoxious bill whenever and wherever it surfaces, either at the federal or State levels. Looking further, even the monthly salaries of the members of the outgoing National Parliament  is certainly very outrageous and disappointing. These are people who hardly form quorum in their plenary. Even when they managed to attend sessions, half of the period is spent on self-serving legislative activities, thus producing no reasonable and robust legislation for the country.

The constitution of this country needs to be reviewed or overhauled so as to address some of these stinking anomalies perpetrated by these legislatures and other folks in the same fold.

ATIKU’S SEARCH FOR JUSTICE AT THE ELECTION TRIBUNAL

The unanimous declaration of the three witches in William Shakespeare's play, MACBETH, that “fair is foul and foul is fair”, means anything goes as far as we achieve our aim. Atiku seems to disagree with the assertion of Shakespeare’s witches that foul is not fair. Atiku standing on this premise is seeking justice in election tribunal in what he termed his “stolen mandate” of his presidential ambition.  The witches had resolved to meet “upon the heath when the hurlyburly’s done, when the battle is lost and won”. Atiku has pledged to meet the APC in court as the elections have been lost by the Peoples Democratic Party and won by the All Progressives Congress represented by Atiku, and Buhari respectively.

The presidential election, the ultimate battle for the seat of the national government, Aso rock, was conducted on the 23^rd of February, 2019, with the results released on the 27^th of same month. The incumbent Muhammadu Buhari polled the total votes of 15,131,847, to defeat Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party who polled the total votes of 11,267,978. The latter was squarely defeated with about four Million votes according to the announcement of the Electoral Management Body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This bitter pill is evidently too difficult for Atiku to swallow with the water of peace; hence he is headed for the Presidential Elections Petition Tribunal.

The presidential candidate of the PDP, like every Nigerian, has the constitutional right to seek redress in competent courts of jurisdiction. .Atiku who has penchant for peace and obedience to the rule of law has decided to toe this legal path. He has gathered his Legal Team ably led by the experienced Livy Ozoukwu (SAN). Atiku has defied the assertion of the witches that foul can never be fair in this circumstance. He has commenced the preliminaries of the suit by the court granting him access to examine some sensitive materials used in the conduct of the presidential elections. The full blast of the legal tussle will begin in not too many days to come.

With all objectivity and every sense of responsibility, it will be a very tall dream for Atiku to realize his intention. This is based on the antecedence of similar cases that have gone beyond the Tribunals even to Supreme Courts.

Retrospectively, when Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) approached the supreme court for interpretation of a fraction of two-thirds of 25% of nineteen States, and that late Shehu Shagari won the elections by polling higher votes but could not be returned elected because he did not meet the constitutional requirements, the Court decided otherwise in favour of the declared winner of that election. Awolowo polled 4,906,851 votes, while Shagari polled 5,688,857 votes as announced by the Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) on September 26, 1979.. As brilliant and persuasive the arguments of Chief Awolowo were, the court never ordered even a re-run. Shagari won the case and was even contested and re-elected in the 1983 presidential polls.

Similarly, the then presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (who is incidentally the current president of Nigeria, under the APC) Muhammadu Buhari, dragged the Peoples Democratic Party to court when he contested with late Umaru Yar’adua in 2007. Yar’Adua polled 2,4638,063 votes against Buhari’s 6,603,299 votes. Umaru in his sincerity even confessed that the elections conducted that year was not devoid of obvious flaws. Despite that confession, the Court did not upturn the results in favour of Buhari. Buhari contested against Goodluck Jonathan in 2011. He (Buhari) cited widespread manipulations and electoral violence, and headed for the courts again. His plea was thrown to the dustbin. So in both cases, he lost with bleeding nose.

In one of our classes in Political science, am erudite Scholar, Professor Authur Davies, of blessed memory, asserted that when it comes to judgment on cases involving Presidential elections, the Court would rather use its discretion in handling such cases. No court would pass a judgment that would result in protracted national crises and avoidable catastrophe. Recently, Chief Olisa Agbakoba in his comment (in PUNCH Newspaper online) on Atiku’s move accused Buhari of removing Walter Onnoghen replacing him with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mohammed Tanko.  He further complained that the “burden of proof to succeed in the election petition is unfairly huge” and that he was ‘worried about the historical precedent as no petition on presidential election result has ever succeeded”

Atiku’s approach to the Courts might end in mere academic exercise and for record purpose just like others before it. It will be just a mirage and loud burst of hope for those anticipating him becoming the president of Nigeria following the recently conducted election. It may be a point of reference for further research for the Electoral Umpire on how to improve on their performance in subsequent elections in the country. But for the Court to upturn the election, and declare him the winner might be a dream to be realized in the next millennium or in the utopian world. The Court will not even order a re-run, worse still  It is good Atiku goes to Court, because the lessons that will be learnt there will be for the benefit of the entire nation. It could be Atiku’s further contribution for better electoral processes in Nigeria.

PRESIDENT BUHARI AND HIS DEATH SENTENCE ORDER ON BALLOT BOX SNATCHERS.

The postponement of the 2019 general elections originally scheduled to hold on the 16^th of February, 2019, has added another feather to its dynamism. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponed the elections with one week, which is now to hold on the 23^rd of the same month of February. The events that had filtered in to the polity within this one week of postponement had been better imagined. There had been series of condemnation of the Electoral Body over the postponement. The leading political parties in the election, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been trading blames over who instigated the shift in polls. The National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomole even swore with the Holy Koran when he accused the INEC of colluding with the PDP before the election was postponed. This was to say that INEC was working in favour of the opposition party to win the general elections. INEC has denied this allegation flatly, and only cited logistics as the main reason for the postponement.

But in another twist, while the political parties have been re-strategizing, holding caucuses meetings, executive meetings and whatnots, to perfect their plans for the forthcoming 23^rd February polls, the APC obviously held theirs with the expected massive attendance of party stalwarts and stakeholders. In the meeting, the presidential candidate of the party, and the incumbent Executive President of the country, Muhammadu Buhari gave a deadly order to the Army, Police and other security agencies to summarily terminate the lives of ballot box snatchers during the 23^rd February, 2019 elections. This order was given, primarily and possibly to drum sanity into the electoral system by meeting deliberate criminality with brute force. While this may appear to be a quick and decisive solution to such criminal act, there are a lot of implications of such a weighty statement coming from the Commander-in-Chief of the nation’s Armed Forces. Expectedly, the Army and the Police have issued separate statements that they will follow the order of their Commander to the letter.

The issues that bother on this order are numerous. There is an electoral provision to deal with such criminalities. A convicted ballot-snatcher faces a two-year jail term or the fine of Five Hundred Thousand Naira or both – but never a death sentence. But again, such provisions were hardly adhered to. Ballot-snatching had unfortunately become part of our electoral process. There was an instance were ballot snatchers summarily executed twenty-six innocent voters in the course of snatching ballot boxes as stated by the presidential spokesman, Garuba Shehu when he was defending the statement of his Boss on the execution order. The Death sentence may be in order to find a more telling action to forestall the re-occurrence of that dastardly act. Arguably, if the security operatives were at alert to their responsibilities, such criminals would not have had a field day perpetrating their crimes where elections were taking place. There might be probable connivance with the security operatives at that instance of the committance of such crime.

Without recourse to any doubtful disputations, we have heard several instances of extra-judicial killings in Nigeria, particularly by the Nigerian Police, at the slightest provocation which they generally blame on “accidental discharge”. We have heard of instances where lives were sniffed out of innocent Nigerians because they refused to part with as low as twenty Nigerian Naira bribe. The attitude of the police particularly, to the Nigerian populace is at best very appalling and horribly unfriendly. The call of President Buhari for summary termination of lives by the Security forces may not be taken with discretion by these forces. This directive will further exacerbate the already tensed political atmosphere and the volatile security situation already been witnessed in the country. If the Police, for instance, which does not seem to know the simple ethos of weapon- handling, are now given this terse charge by the President, it might be a way of possible vendetta to those who had looked for an opportunity to deal with a private enemy, now using the cloak of ballot box snatching as a guise. I can assure Mr. President that some hypocrites might even love to kill for the joy of it to ensure that they actually ‘carried out’ the presidential directive, where and when it is actually needless to do so Certainly, lives will be lost because an ordinary argument in the polling centre could be misread to be ballot-box snatching attempt by overtly overzealous security operatives. I exercise utmost fear that perhaps the security agents may have hidden sympathy for a political party, then this order becomes leverage to get rid of their political opponents.

Much as the President takes it as sole responsibility for his government to conduct a free, fair and credible election, he would have taken cognizance of the kind of security forces he was giving such costly order to. My main concern is the Nigeria Police. The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Muhammed Adamu should as a matter of urgency train his men of all the hierarchy and categories interpret and emphasize to them the good intention of the President. The president is not looking for corpses to justify his statement. He only meant that there should be sanity, security and decorum in the discharge of our civic responsibilities on the election days. Elections can actually hold without anyone dying or being shot. The security Agencies are to provide SECURITY to all. I believe that is the crux of the President’s directive to the Security operatives.

Those who had perfected plans to snatch ballot boxes on the election days should have a rethink and kill that thought right away. If you dare the statement of the President, you may not truly be alive to seek justice or seek for redress - trust our security operatives!. It is a condemnable act to snatch boxes during elections. If your candidate is popular enough, he will win without getting into any forms of criminality. All those hired to perpetuate this nefarious act should know that neither the President nor the Security Agents are joking. Be wise!

INEC AND THE ELECTION POSTPONEMENT OF 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS.

The postponement of the general elections scheduled to hold today, 16^th of February 2019 has taken most Nigerians in a shock. Many have prepared for the elections. Everyone has been fully mobilized. Many schools both of the government and the private Schools have been shut down since on Wednesday as part of the preparations for the elections, basically to ensure the safety of students and workers in the schools alike. The President of the country, Muhammadu Buhari had made a national broadcast assuring the preparedness of the country and even of the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its readiness for the election.  Everything appeared set for the exercise. The international observers have also been fully mobilized. Peace Accord has been signed by all the presidential aspirants. The Nigerian Police has declared restriction of movements from 6am to 6pm today for the elections.

Like a thunderbolt from the blues, in spite of all assurances and preparedness, the Electoral Body suddenly began to meet late on Friday 15^th February and coming up with a decision culminating in the postponement of the election with one week. Though this is not the first time general elections are postponed in Nigeria, but that should not be a norm when it is avoidable.

In the build-up to the 2019 general elections, various instances of violence have been recorded in several parts of the country. For instance, some few days ago the lives of sixty-six innocent Nigerians were sent to their early graves by unknown gun men in Kaduna State. In Anambra and Imo States, INEC materials have been reportedly set ablaze. This includes the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and Card Readers. These are sensitive electoral materials.  There were other incidences of arson particularly of INEC materials. iNEC offices have suddenly turned to a harmattan zone where fire burns freely.

Earlier, the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised an alarm that some powerful forces are colluding with some other enemies of Nigeria to ensure that the elections are scuttled, likely paving way for an interim government. But I say the wishes of the evil people will never come to pass in Nigeria. Nigeria is bigger than any individual or a group. Nigeria is greater than any part of the country.

Much as I personally condemn the postponement in its entirety because I expected that INEC Research Team should have been able to figure out some of the possibilities for the eventual postponement, they may still have convincing points for the postponement. They cited logistics reasons for the postponement.  I wish to suggest to the electoral body to put all factors into consideration to ensure the full success of the February 23, general elections.

At present, there is mutual suspicion between the leading political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC ) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party( PDP). There is apprehension in the entire country, probable higher level of violence than before the postponement o the election. There might be more ruthlessness by political thugs as they may be used by politicians to ensure victory by all means. The Security of the nation should be stepped more than ever before.  But in all these Nigerian must survive.

In all, INEC must be fully responsible for whatever becomes the outcome of these elections, because all necessary support by the government, NGOs, international Community were given to this Body. Then why the sudden postponement?