PEBBLES WITH IGBOTAKO NOWINTA
“A people’s power must be organized from the grass roots to dislodge the machinery of Federal terror if the coming elections in the country go the way of previous ones… A historic opportunity presents itself in the coming elections in Nigeria to end high level of avoidable deprivation and tortuous penury to which Nigerians have been subjected by tricksters, fraudulent and happy go-lucky politicians” – Quoted in Nowinta ‘s book-WHERE WE ARE (Pages 144/145)
I read recently with keen interest, the details of the press conference held by Chief Edwin Clark (Ijaw National Leader), Dr. Alex Ekweme (former vice president of Nigeria) and others calling on the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega to resign his appointment, over 30,000 additional polling units created by the federal electoral agency.
Really, when I first saw the screaming headlines attacking Professor Jega, I thought the man had consciously committed a grievous offence concerning the additional polling units created by the electoral umpire.
But I decided to look beneath the surface which made me to be curious enough to study the issues raised by Chief Edwin Clark and co-travelers.
The press conference in question was loaded with a fierce disparaging campaign; the most vile blows and virulent attack against the person of Prof. Attahiru Jega.
Imagine words: “like playing ethnic agenda; pouring insults on the people of the South-South” etc.
I began to think that such callous venoms poured especially on the integrity and honesty of the INEC boss was unwarranted in the first place.
I saw the action of the celebrated Ijaw leader and company as a case of trying to use a sledge hammer to kill an innocent cockroach because the defense of Prof.
Jega was quite innocent, unambiguous and convincing.
I don’t know why everything is politicized in this country.
When Nuhu Ribadu suffered one of the heaviest political defeats, humiliation betrayal and insult in the electoral history of Nigeria in 2011 presidential election, as the candidate of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), nobody went to town to run down Prof. Jega and INEC.
When Kayode Fayemi was surprisingly knocked off the scene during the Ekiti Governorship election because forces bigger and heavier than his honest, simple and progressive approach to governance felt he was posing as an obstacle, the People’s Democratic Party did not call for ‘World Press Conference’, nor call for the forceful retirement of Prof. Jega.
We have not forgotten either, what transpired in Anambra State during the Governorship Election not too long ago.
Take it or leave it, Senator Chris Ngige (former Governor of Anambra State) and Governorship Candidate of the opposition – All Progressive Congress (APC) was a formidable candidate, but the way and manner the election was conducted raised serious issues of brazen electoral manipulation and outright rigging, before victory went the way of Willy Obiano of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).
As a seasoned analyst, what happened during the last Governorship election in Anambra State was a case of a grand wicked alliance by the PDP and APGA, to make sure that (APC) did not smell the governorship seat in Akwa.
In the midst of the conspiracy that came to the fore in that state, Chief Edward Clark and other card carrying PDP hawks did not raise a finger against Prof. Attahiru Jega and INEC.
I have not forgotten too, the highest level of deception, lies, fraud and charade that were displayed in Delta State during the by-election into Delta Central Senatorial Seat (vacated by the late Senator Pius Ewherido).
We must quickly remember that Pius Ewherido who died due to natural causes won election to the Senate on the platform of Democratic Peoples’ Party (DPP).
In a keenly contested election that was forecasted by book makers that DPP’s candidate would carry the day, because of the level of acceptance of the party in Delta Central Senatorial District, the reverse was the case, as the candidate of the PDP eventually won.
When the candidate of the PDP was declared a winner, in the midst of heavy protests from the camp of the DPP, neither a word, nor any eyebrows were raised from such chieftain like Edwin Clark; then nobody called for the resignation of Jega.
Even when a competent court in the land nullified the election that brought Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State to power for a second term in office, as a result of the furious litigation brought by chief Great Ogboru of the Democratic Peoples’ Party (DPP), the Governorship election that ensued was incredibly rigged in favor of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan of the PDP.
We felt correctly that victory in the then re-run Delta State Governorship election was denied Great Ogboru, because at that point in time, the popularity of Dr. Uduaghan was at a record low.
Nevertheless, the stalwarts of PDP everywhere jubilated over their behind-the-door victory because it was very clear that Chief Great Ogboru won that historic election.
Now coming to Osun State, much recently, in the midst of the overwhelming intimidation unleashed on the electorate during the August 9th Governorship election there, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola was able to use his thunderous popularity to snatch victory against Senator Iyiola Omisore of the PDP.
According to my friend, a resident of Oshogbo, there was nothing the PDP did not do to swerve the pendulum of victory to their side. In his words: “it was simply war”.
My heart laments that, once again, we are going into another national election in February 2015, without the executive arm, nor the National Assembly talking about inserting any clause that will digitalize our electoral system.
For crying out loud, our electoral system is still largely very porous. Indeed, an electoral system that still allows massive thumb printing and other avoidably electoral offences should be discarded and thrown aside.
INEC’s new additional 30,000 polling units to me is welcome because it will in turn enable more people to participate in the voting exercise with convenience and less queues in polling units.
On this score, Prof. Jega should be left alone! I don’t know how these new polling units will translate into massive rigging.
Nowinta wrote WHERE WE ARE – A CALL FOR DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION IN NIGERIA
