Those who hailed Prof. Attahiru Jega shortly after his nomination and subsequent appointment as the next INEC helmsman would now read between the lines that his popularly avowed credibility is beginning to tow the line of doubt. The recently released time table for the 2011 elections is an indication that we are heading towards another ‘iwuistic’ type of electoral results fraught with anomalies and general condemnation. The time table, apart from putting everybody under pressure, is designed to fail because the timing is too short for any meaningful planning and execution of credible elections; the order of the election which put presidential election before governorship is a strategy designed and perfected in 2003 and now inherited by the ‘Proff’ to rig elections for PDP in many states in the coming elections.
Besides, the 2010 electoral Act has been inundated with booby traps that will eventually set the country on another round of petitions which would not resolved within six months before the swearing-in as stipulated by the new electoral act. Specifically, section 133(1) of the electoral Act provides that, “No election and return at an election under this Act shall be questioned in any manner other than by a petition complaining of an undue election or undue return (in this Act referred to as an “election petition”) presented to the competent tribunal or court in accordance with the provision of the constitution or this Act, and in which a person elected or returned is joined as a party.”
The straw that broke the camel’s back is section 132(2) which defines tribunal or court to mean in the case of Presidential or Governorship election, the Court of Appeal and in case of any other elections under the Act, the election tribunal established under the constitution or Act. The implication is that the Court of Appeal now has original jurisdiction in the determination of Presidential and Governorship election disputes. One need not be lawyer to interpret the import of this section and the implications it would have for our democracy.
Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the twelfth year anniversary of the party last August thumped their chest as the best party ever existed in Nigeria. While rolling out their achievements, the leadership of the party posited that their twelve years in the saddle of power has brought both stability and economic advancement to the Nigerian polity. The question is: how many people are richer and how many poorer since they have been in power?. The answer is not far-fetched: there friends, families and cronies. Is this how economic development is measured when majority are wallowing in abject poverty?
I think it will be appropriate for me to highlight some of the PDP’s achievements in the last twelve years which they could list due to the neglect in their oversight functions, to wit: epileptic power supply is part of the economic advancement; privatization of education is also part of the economic advancement; hospitals without modern facilities with medical personnels moving in and out of strike for unpaid allowances is also an achievement worth mentioning; inability to fix our refineries is economic growth; the deplorable state of the federal roads is a major achievement; institutionalised corruption with EFCC being used only to harassed perceived enemies of the government including their members is a very good one; massive unemployment of youths and the use of some as political thugs is also a brilliant achievement; manufacturing companies in the country are closing shop, while the country has been reduced to a consuming nation, importing more than exporting is a great accomplishment. What future for our technological advancement in the face of all these so called achievements by the PDP-controlled government?
Let’s face it, of what use is our so-called ‘political stability’ that has not translated into job for the jobless, home for the homeless, compulsory and qualitative education for the children of the less privileged, good medical care for the citizenry, improvement in the infrastructure necessary socio-economic growth and development, vibrant manufacturing industry, uninterruptible power supply, functional refineries, solid financial institutions to mention just a few.
The leadership of the PDP who gathered to reel out the so called ‘achievements’ should bury their heads in shame. Rather than boost, they should apologise to Nigerians for putting them through this tortuous road to economic slavery and political hegemony in the last twelve years. The handling of 2011 elections under this obnoxious electoral Act and horridly prepared time-table will determine the level of seriousness to make our votes count and engender credibility in the political system largely dictated by the PDP. Let’s save Nigeria, so Nigeria won’t die!
GOD help Nigeria!
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