When a man who is leading in a race falls down, collapses and dies in the process, his son, family members, relations, colleagues or friend cannot help him to finish the race or take over from where he stopped but rather the next person in that race who is in the second position should be awarded the first position because the man in the first position could not
Complete the race due to some circumstances beyond his control.
This is how it should have been done in the Kogi gubernatorial election.
By Dele Oluwatade
The just concluded gubernatorial election in Kogi State that produced Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the runner-up in the APC primary election that was won by Prince Abubakar Audu as the governor elect will remain in public discuss for as long as possible.
Political watchers, analysts and commentators have continued to comment on the process, procedure, decisions taken by Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), the various parties involved in the election and the roles played by stakeholders before, during and after the election.
Twenty two (22) candidates and political parties participated in the poll across the 3,018 polling booths in 239 wards and 21 local government councils. No fewer than 13,000 polling officials were involved in the conduct of the election.
It will be recalled that the people of Kogi State went to the poll on November 21st 2015 to elect a governor that will lead the state in the next four years.
The election, according to election observers was credible; the process saw the candidate of APC leading his opponent by 41,000 votes as he scored 240,867 votes ahead of the PDP candidates and incumbent governor of the state Idris Wada who scored 199,514 votes.
Hopes were high as result were still being collated and announced, but suddenly the news of the sudden death of Prince Audu filtered into Town.
He was leading his opponents and on the verge of being announced as the winner of the election and governor-elect.
The news shocked everyone in the state especially the electorate and his teeming supporters as well as the nation at large.
His death opened another chapter in the history of our political system because cases of this magnitude have never being envisaged by Nigerians and framers of the nation’s constitution.
Curiously, neither the 1999 constitution nor the electoral Act had provisions for the scenario.
Political analysts and commentators began to take various stands and positions on the matter. The opposition party’s stand was for INEC to declare the candidate of their party and incumbent governor of the state Idris Wada as the winner of the election.
Wada asked Court to declare him winner as highest scorer alive. Some executives of APC and some of its supporters were clamouring for Audu’s son to step into his shoes and start from where the father stopped.
Others suggested new candidates to take over from him and James Faleke, the running mate to the late Audu saw himself as the rightful person to step into Audu’s position as gubernatorial candidate for the party since they were both in the race before the sad incident occurred.
INEC saw things from another perspective as they declare the election inconclusive since one of the contender has suddenly died in the race and due to the cancellation of the exercise in other areas because of security threat.
The body said the exercise was inconclusive, saying there would be supplementary election in 91 units on December 5th 2015 – a decision condemned by senior legal expert as “simply wrong.”
The Judiciary and legal Icons/luminary were also interpreting the situation to the best of their abilities, and were unanimous in their decision saying that a fresh election should be ordered, following Audu’s death.
At that moment, the nation and our political system was at a loss on what to do and how to handle the situation so it will not lead to anarchy and distort our developing electoral process and growing democracy.
The state was now set for the worst and prepared for the best decisions from all stakeholders involved in the process and the international community stood motionless watching how matured we are and will be in handling the situation on ground.
But I was not and still not satisfied with the final resolution of INEC to allow APC party to bring a fresh candidate to take over from the late Audu.
Alhaji Yahaya Bello did not campaign, did not go through the processes required but was chosen to continue from where Audu stopped. This is electoral fraud.
What happened in the Kogi State gubernatorial election is procedural corruption. This corruption is a serious one because you are imposing a candidate that was not chosen by the people on them.
The situation was not and was never managed well by the party, bringing a man to inherit Audu’s votes.
It was Audu that the people of Kogi State voted for to be their governor not Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
The whole process calls for a re-examination. The first qualification to run for any political position should be and must be medical fitness test.
A candidate must be tested to know whether he or she is fit to start the race and finish it successfully.
Election processes is full of stress and rigour, a man who is not healthy can’t take the journey because such will not survive it.
A medically invalid candidate should not engage in politics and has no business with electioneering processes.
The call for Audu’s son to take over from his father is laughable because the tired father supposed to have sponsored the son.
Electoral process can be likened to a race on the track involving many contesting for the first price.
In an eventual race, the man who is leading in the race suddenly falls and dies, should he be crowned as winner in a race he never finished?
Will his son or family member be called to take over from him on the track? Or will another person be called to take his position on the track?
Certainly all the answers to the above questions are emphatic “NO” if I am correct why is the scenario in the Kogi election different? It is a tragic foolery.
When a man who is leading in a race falls down, collapses and dies in the process, his son, family members, relations, colleagues or friend can not help him to finish the race or take over from where he stopped but rather the next person in that race who is in the second position should be awarded the first position because the man in the first position could not complete the race due to some circumstances beyond his control.
This is how it should have been done in the Kogi gubernatorial election; INEC should have followed this commonsense lay down procedure and process rather than inventing mischievous rule to make the whole process laughable.
Faleke who is Audu’s running mate in the election can’t take over from him. Even, Bello who has now been sworn-in as governor for the state cannot stand the test of the judiciary.
I suspect this is the reason Faleke refused to join in the tragic illegality. Faleke would have become relevant only if Audu had died even a minute after being sworn-in as governor. As the governor dies, he immediately takes over as governor, you don’t contest that.
The position INEC took in declaring the election inconclusive in the first case must be based on privileged information it got on the death of Audu.
INEC on this ground said the election was inconclusive because it cannot declare a dead person winner of an election. They took the easiest way out of the problem facing the electoral process.
Another person can’t inherit Audu’s result, a new substitute can’t take over rather a co-contestant should have been declared winner of the election. Or, do a complete re-run of election.
I believe in the judiciary and the rule of law. The Supreme Court should make a statement and take a position on this matter once and for all.
If not such may occur again or something similar or different and wrong decision will continuously be taken on such matters.
Medical certificate of fitness is most important qualification in electoral competition. Politicians please note.
The Doctor that signed the medical certificate of fitness should be questioned for his role in this electoral abortion.
Finally, it must be emphasized that the legislative arm has greater responsibility to do perfect jobs.
Is it too hard for them to imagine possible problems that can arise in an electoral process and make provisions for them?.
Legislative incompetence is the root cause of this incidence. It is high time they sat up to justify their role and the resources committed to their comfort.
Dele Oluwatade is National Coordinator, Jubilee Emancipation Initiative, Nigeria.
