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The present government is gradually becoming Nigeria’s number one hypocrite. When some of its functionaries tell you good morning, you need to check again to be sure it is actually morning before responding. It is absolutely repugnant. Good leaders command respect and trust of the people. It is this trust that keeps them going and makes people respect their directives and commands. But when that trust is gone, what you see is hopelessness, disillusionment and outright disobedience by the citizenry.
The last supplementary governorship election in Adamawa State presents us with a good example of the double standard of those we call leaders. There was an election in that state like in many other states of the federation on March 18, 2023. In the election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was at its shoddy best. There were many infractions, ranging from thuggery, ballot box-snatching, late or non-arrival of INEC officials in some polling units. The incumbent governor of Adamawa, Ahmadu Fintiri, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was cruising home to victory when the electoral umpire declared the election in his state inconclusive because the number of cancelled votes exceeded the margin of victory.
A number of people cried foul because there were similar, if not worse infractions in some other states. In Lagos, for instance, voter intimidation, harassment, threats to opposition party supporters reigned supreme. A certain MC Oluomo warned the Igbo not to bother coming out to vote, if they would not vote the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Oluomo and his goons actually carried out this threat as many people suspected to be Igbo were attacked and stopped from voting. Despite all these, results were announced and a winner declared.
Adamawa is a PDP state. The presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, is from that state. But, for reasons best known to the powers that be, they wanted to add Adamawa as one of their conquered territories. They schemed and plotted, but all their efforts ended in vain.
The most laughable was the conduct of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the state, Hudu Yunusa-Ari. This man is a lawyer. He knows that the onus to announce results of state elections lies on the state Returning Officer (RO). But, apparently due to the lure of filthy lucre he shamelessly and unilaterally pronounced the candidate of the APC, Aisha Binani, as the winner of the supplementary poll held on Saturday, April 15, 2023, even when collation was not yet concluded. This was in total disregard of Section 25 of the Electoral Act 2022, which empowers the state RO to announce results and declare the winner of a state governorship election. It was amazing that Binani read an acceptance speech as if she knew before hand that she would be pronounced governor-elect. Even the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) televised the so-called acceptance speech. And the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), which delights in sanctioning private broadcast stations over minor mistakes, has kept mute ever since.
In its reaction to these shenanigans, INEC first suspended the collation of results and invited Yunusa-Ari to Abuja. Later, it suspended the REC and continued with the collation process. It was the RO, Professor Mohammed Mele, who eventually announced Fintiri as winner of the election with 430,861 votes. He defeated Binani who got 396,788 votes.
President Muhammadu Buhari approved the suspension of the REC pending the completion of investigations by the Inspector-General of Police on his actions during the supplementary election. The President directed that he should be prosecuted, if found liable. He also directed the IG of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to investigate the role of their officers in aiding and abetting the actions of Yunusa-Ari. Buhari directed that appropriate disciplinary actions be meted out to those officers if found culpable.
Hypocrisy! Where was Buhari when INEC fooled Nigerians with a false promise to make 2023 elections the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history? Why did he keep quiet when the electoral umpire disregarded the complaints and concerns of many stakeholders and announced the winner of the presidential election in the wee hours of March 1? Why did he not summon INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, to explain in detail the technical glitches, which he blamed for the failure of the commission to upload the presidential election results to INEC portal real time? Why did he not call Yakubu to order? Why has he not cautioned the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who revels in lies and propaganda? Why did he allow INEC to take members and supporters of the ruling party on a jolly good ride in fool’s paradise in the name of celebrating a questionable victory?
Hypocrisy and selective justice are partly responsible for Nigeria’s current miserable state. If we are to tell ourselves the home truth, Yakubu should be the first person to be sacked and prosecuted for his odious conduct of the 2023 general election. It does appear that Yunusa-Ari is being used as a sacrificial lamb. The idea, perhaps, is to pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians; to make us feel that the government of the day does not tolerate corruption and electoral crimes.
This government will go down in history as the worst in terms of keeping promises. At inception of this administration, Buhari promised to tackle corruption, insecurity and fix our economy. He has failed to make any meaningful impact in any of these scores. Nigerians were ready to forgive him if he had fulfilled his latest promise to bequeath a legacy of free, fair and credible election. He has also failed woefully to fulfill this. Now that it is about a month’s time to hand over, he is telling us how he is eager to leave. I will not miss him and I am praying God to fast-forward the hand of time so that May 29, the handover date, will come sooner than expected. We have endured all sorts of ills and bad governance in the hands of this administration. A credible election would not have returned APC to power. But here we are, faced with the prospect of that party returning to power.
They say the judiciary is the last hope of the aggrieved. I hope it is so with the Nigerian judiciary. Nigerians are anxiously waiting. They are watching to see what will be the outcome of the cases at the tribunal. That is when we know whether we are moving forward or backwards as a nation.
As for the Adamawa REC and his partners, we also wait to see how the whole thing pans out. The rumour in town is that he has disappeared and his whereabouts is unknown. The man has reportedly failed to report to the INEC headquarters as directed and had not picked his calls. Very good! ‘Sahara Reporters’, an online news platform, reported that Yunusa-Ari was flown out of Yola, the Adamawa state capital, in a private jet with registration number (NG) 5N-IKO penultimate Sunday.
Soon, the DSS or the police will tell us some cock and bull stories about the disappearance of Yunusa-Ari. Something is seriously wrong with Africa.
Re: Peter Obi as Nigeria’s Prometheus
Casmir, APC and its government have brought a lot of crises in Nigeria. Crises in governance, health, education, economy, security, polity, etc. APC and its government have galvanized lies as a national identity that can be marketed internationally. They have through the instrumentality of shameless officials exposed innocent Nigerians to endless embarrassment. To sustain their toxic administration, they employed all known toxic methodologies to retain power. The emergence of the structure-less Peter Obi is still a nightmare to them. But what they have failed to realize is Peter Obi is ‘integrity unlimited’. It’s that integrity he has built over the years that is propelling him today. No matter how they want to destroy him, the will of the people must prevail and all the transducers will surely be disgraced.
– Pharm. Okwuchukwu Njike, +234 803 885 4922
Dear Casy, Peter Obi can be regarded as an “extra-ordinary” human being. He’s a man of inexplicable grace. The first man to become a governor through the election tribunal. The first governor to come back from illegal impeachment. The first governor to get a tenure interpretation by the Supreme Court. All these feats were unprecedented until Peter Obi happened on the polity. Look at how he has changed the fortunes of a hitherto moribund Labour Party within a short time. The one-man riot squad that almost dismantled the corrupt behemoth structures of the two dominant political parties but for INEC.
– Ifeanyi, Owerri, +234 806 156 2735
Dear Casy, note that Falsehood runs sprints but Truth runs marathon. For this, win or ‘lose’ at the election tribunal, Peter Obi, the Prometheus, has won Nigeria for real Nigerians. Real Nigerians, hereinafter, refers to Nigerians who, at hearts, words and actions pursue the salvation and retrieval of Nigeria from predators that have, heartlessly, overtime, put Nigeria in coma and answer Nigerians so long as their gluttonous, voracious and rapaciously acquisitive tendencies are satisfied without fetters! Hence, all the plots, treacheries and intrigues, which began their trajectories right from the Onnoghen debacle, are stacked against the young, poor innocent man. Casy, permit me to draw the attention of the predators, masquerading as our leaders, and their hatchet men, now jostling for juicy political patronage at all costs, to the Divine message in ISAIAH 54,verses 14 and 15 and I quote:- “O Jerusalem…. Justice and right will make you strong. You will be safe from oppression and terror. If anyone attacks you, he does it without my consent; whoever fights against you will fall.” Whoever, therefore, among the predators, their goons and purveyors of judicial merchandising that still has some remnants of humanity, let them hear and make good use of this Divine message so that history and posterity shall be kind to them.
– Steve Okoye, Awka, 08036630731
Casmir, Obi is truly Nigeria’s Prometheus! He has done the right thing by refusing to be intimidated to leave Nigeria – a mistake made by MKO Abiola – on exile. Fear not those who can kill the flesh, but, not the soul. One day, Nigeria shall be free! Free from those who raped it and have been given another opportunity to ‘re-rape’ it post May 29, 2023. Nigeria shall be free from all those who have turned it into a big, blind, limping country. Free from those who made it lie prostrate amongst committee of nations. Free from those who had stolen it blind and refused to let go. Free from vultures and hawks who enriched themselves at the expense of the poor! One day, my country shall fulfill destiny! Great men of the likes of Obi shall preside over Nigeria and it shall no longer be business as usual. They now know that Obi doesn’t suffer fools gladly. They thought if they ‘shake’ him a little, he would cave in. But, he trudges on like a soldier, full of conviction, to win the war against his traducers, naysayers and impostors! No pains, no gain. They are amazed at his doggedness, strong will and resolve! God shall fight for Nigeria & Obi and we shall hold our peace. The days of the usurpers and charlatans are numbered!
– Mike, Mushin, +234 816 111 4572
Dear Casmir, God will not fail to intervene in Peter Obi case. For a cow without tail God drives away flies. The reward for evil is punishment but good works shall set free the just.
– Cletus Frenchman, Enugu, +234 909 538 5215
