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The issues and unfolding secrets thrown up by the just concluded 2023 poll for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the outcome of the exercise, are reverberating across the country as fresh facts come to light.
Typical of our character, so much hope was raised and the excitement for a New Nigeria made so much sense, given the gloom that has enveloped the country, especially in recent years under the draconian, rudderless administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Nigerians had looked forward to a new order, especially when former governor of Anambra State entered the race and began a message that resonated so much with the populace, particularly the young ones.
Expectations took new forms and climbed to a crescendo when the President and the electoral umpire at every turn kept giving assurance of the most credible polls to be seen in the country. At every international fora, Buhari took time to assure the world that Nigerians will be in for the best democratic time ever. The Independent Electoral National Commission, INEC, amplified the mantra while the National Assembly added to the mix with new insertions into the electoral rules, especially the much clamoured for electronic transmission of results straight from the polling units at the close of voting.
For Nigerians it was both a noble idea and ani indication that more than at any other time the votes will count. But by the time the actual voting started through the early countings, it became very clear to those who could see into the future that the nation had once again been scammed. What passed for election was a well-knitted farce. Signs that things may go very terrible began quite early. At a point no one was sure if the elections would hold at all, there were even speculations the President wanted to extend his tenure through a constitutional engineering. It took him long time to come through with a refutal.
When it came, it was like the President was enjoying the suspense. His statement didn›t carry so much weight. It was like off-the-cuff remarks. Next was amendment to the Electoral Act to take care of modernity. The first time the bill suffered a defeat. It took serious pressure from Nigerians to bring it back. Why is this point very crucial: unpredictability in poll processes amounts to corruption of the procedures. It is a more serious infringement than stealing of votes. It confers undue advantages. Uncertainty around polls can cause electoral officials their lives in places where people so much cherish development and comfort. But here, who cares?
We even go about to miltarize the atmosphere under the guise of providing security. It happened under the administrations of former Presidents Obasanjo and Jonathan administration and has assumed a more monstrous dimension now even though highly veiled. In a democracy, every genuine effort made should be one that improves the civilianization process of both human and institutional frameworks around the society. Let’s leave it there.
This election which began with the first one penultimate Saturday attracted the highest turnout of voters like never seen before in the country. The youthful population wanted to participate in very large numbers. They found a candidate in Mr Peter Obi and hope from the electoral body that technology would be applied, and more than before votes would count. Everything turned to an anti-climax when it was time to walk the talk with action. On the day of the election, electoral officials and their materials arrived so many polling very late. In fact in many places accreditation of voters and voting began by 2.00 pm.
Many of the electoral officials couldn›t understand their machines let alone to operate them. The worst came through when contrary to a cardinal provision of the Electoral Act and constant assurances from the umpire that results would be uploaded from BVAS (Biometric Voter Authentication Machines) at the polling units into the national server for all to follow the results in realtime on the INEC Results Viewing (Irev) portal, nothing of such happened. The officials confirmed the server wasn’t functioning. Stories of the workers being told to rework scoresheets became commonplace.
There were confirmed cases of violence on voters. Many were hurt, ballot papers and boxes carted away. Racial slurs were applied and threats passed with the authorities looking the other way. Confirmed malfeasances that took place were enough to cancel the presidential poll and reschedule a new one but not in our kind of clime, where all that the kind of leaders we have want is power to convert public treasury into private purse at any cost to the health of the larger society. It wouldn›t matter what they make of the system and how many lives get killed in the process. For them, only the end justifies the means.
The truth is that we must be worried about our decisions and actions because they carry consequences. We are in the mess we have found ourselves today because of the decisions and choices we have made or allowed less gifted leaders to make on our behalf. Every time we take decisions, we end up compounding our woes, and in a little while we begin to lament and cry but the irony is that when opportunities throw themselves up for new direction rather than take it we return to old discredited path.
The electoral process hasn›t functioned to the point we know. More than 30 years ago, we have been clamouring for electoral reform but when we finally got it, and the chance beckoned, we refused to apply it. Of what use was the effort in the first place? It has become like a penchant to see real solutions to our problems and shy away from them. The question is why? What is this attitude of almost waiting for nature to bring healing at its own time? Hasn’t our nasty experiences proven that it is not a path to follow?
Elections that should be properly conducted are executed in very shoddy manner. Every four years, we undertake same ritual, same process and end the same way and yet our response, including from those we regard as very educated and exposed ones is to tell us, «We are trying, democracy is a journey, we need time and patience, we must first have a Nigeria before.» Before what? We destroy good processes, destroy confidence and trust, leave behind deep hurts and turn around to still expect have a country. How does that come by, is it by foul means or happenstance? Great countries and people don’t just happen, they are products of fine reasoning, commitment and hard work of people who have resolved to move their fate from the realm of potential to manifest level of reality. Great countries are not outcomes of chance, chicanery and shortsighted desires.
Every time a people or their leaders subvert processes, the contradictions they throw up turn round to haunt them if not checked or things corrected on time. The outcomes often destroy the society and kill off the citizens. What we have done with the 2023 presidential election will haunt and hurt us. We will see attempts to give a face of credibility to the remaining election but the truth is that we have sown fresh seeds of contradictions alread. They will rise and come after for us. There is no doubt about this. It is the lesson of history not anybody’s words.
