THE BLOODY RE-RUN ELECTIONS IN RIVERS STATE

After sixteen years of democratic rule and the strenuous efforts displayed by former Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, to sanitize the system, many politicians still believe they can win election by resorting to violent means. One would think that politicians had learnt one lesson or two from the governorship/house of assembly elections held in Rivers state in 2015, because of the gigantic violence that characterized the exercise.

Pebbles with Igbotako Nowinta

The level of wanton violence, senseless killings and unnecessary mayhem that were showcased by some politicians during the re-run legislative elections in Rivers state is nothing but an eyesore and an affront to Nigeria’s nascent democracy.

After sixteen years of democratic rule and the strenuous efforts displayed by former Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, to sanitize the system, many politicians still believe they can win election by resorting to violent means.

One would think that politicians had learnt one lesson or two from the governorship/house of assembly elections held in Rivers state in 2015, because of the gigantic violence that characterized the exercise.

Are we saying that if the verdict of the Supreme Court on the governorship election in Rivers state had gone to the camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC), perhaps the mindless and barbaric violence unleashed last weekend would have been greatly minimized?

Perhaps the controversial judgment delivered by the nation’s apex court not quite long, that Nyeson Wike won the Rivers state governorship election has bastardized and rubbished Professor Jega’s twin masterpiece – the Card Reader Device and the Permanent Voters Card (PVC).

It is sad that some politicians still collude with some INEC staff to manipulate results.

Multiple voting, massive thumb printing and other electoral malpractices are still prevalent under our electoral system despite all the noble initiatives introduced under Attahiru Jega’s INEC.

I don’t care a hoot about which party carries the day in the just concluded or yet to be finalized re-run elections in Rivers state, but it is imperative that we get it right now concerning our electoral system.

It is heart-wrenching indeed that after spending billions of naira on the need to sanitize our electoral system, only for the Supreme Court to take us backward by not reckoning with the Card Reader to determine valid results due to mere legal technicalities.

However, it is good news to know that the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is already putting machineries in motion to legalize the Card Reader Device.

That is to say that the nation’s Electoral Act will soon be amended to include the latest initiatives at INEC.

If we must get it right and instill real fear in the minds of election riggers and celebrated manipulators of election results, Nigeria must do something urgently in the direction of establishing Electoral Offences Tribunal.

As the Senate is thinking in this direction, it is quite imperative for the Senators to include the issue of Electoral Offences Tribunal in their deliberations.

There is no doubt in my mind that Electoral Offences Tribunal will go a long way in reducing drastically the reckless and constant resort to needless violence by some unscrupulous, unpopular, jobless and wicked politicians in Nigeria.

Definitely, if those who championed, sponsored and unleashed untold violence during the April 11th, 2015 governorship/house of assembly elections in Rivers State were penalized, using a mechanism such as the Electoral Offences Tribunal, there would never have been a repeat of such shameful incident last weekend in the oil-rich state.

It is nauseating to recollect, most especially since 1999 that because politicians and their stupid foot soldiers have never been made to account for violent attitudes during elections, they all tend to operate with impunity.

For crying out aloud, what we have here is a democracy, not some big jungles where some people just choose the path of violence because someone somewhere up there will always come to rescue them from the long arm of the law.

Every law abiding citizens must ensure that all the culprits in the recent violence in Rivers state are made to account for their criminal deeds.

And if the sitting Governor, Nyesom Wike feels he is bigger than the law of the land by inciting his loyalists to be laws unto themselves, thereby compromising security in the state, he should be reminded quickly that there is a Federal Government in Abuja that can apply the law appropriately and decisively.

Nowinta wrote: Where We Are – A Call for Democratic Revolution in Nigeria