THE FAILED ATTACK ON THE ADAMAWA ELECTORATE
—George Kushi
It is clear that anti-democratic forces in Adamawa state are determined to prevent due process from taking place.
The lessons of the past few days are a pointer to those following the foolhardy boast of Aishatu Binani, the inept handling of the governorship elections, and the consequent declaration that the election result is “inconclusive”.
Since Attahiru Jega coined this despicable term a few years ago, Nigerians have associated it with deception and criminal attempts to defraud the electorate. The term “inconclusive” clearly refers to areas where the APC appears to be losing elections.
In today’s environment, governorship elections scream loudly. The outcome of the results in Adamawa has been adjudged “inconclusive” by a visibly biassed umpire who has been caught on phone making highly compromising statements, by far exceeding the results in Kaduna and Ogun states.
He has even admitted to making some of these statements, but the powers that be have not seen fit to remove him from his position and replace him.
Even more intriguing is the fact that, despite identifying election fraudsters, no one has been arrested and arraigned for such offences under the law. The befuddled REC has admitted that as “a taimaki matan nan” (singular) or matannan (plural), his duty is not to assist anyone, male or female.
His acceptance of having received instructions from “above” necessitates further investigation into who gave him such instructions.
What is happening in Adamawa exemplifies the country’s deteriorating political culture and has made us a laughingstock in the committee of nations, prompting international observers to condemn the 2023 elections outright.
The cases in Ogun and Kaduna,where the margins are small and below the cancelled votes, have not elicited so much attention as to attract the term ” inconclusive”. With only 37,000 votes to contest in the most dubious of circumstances, Adamawa citizens face a torturous wait for elections that we all know are designed to facilitate rigging.
This necessitates vigilance on the part of the electorate, who must ensure that their right to vote is not jeopardised. To achieve this, everyone, regardless of level of intimidation, must participate.
All must also insist on one ballot paper in order to avoid over-voting, which can exacerbate problems. The elections were marred by criminal acts that went unpunished.
The criminal (known to many) who “snatched” the Future result sheet should be brought to justice, along with his principals. The dubious REC should be fired because his statements have shown him to be untrustworthy and partisan in his duties
The dubious REC should be fired because his statements have shown him to be untrustworthy and partisan in his duties We all have a responsibility to ensure that those involved in this attempt to steal the people’s mandate are held accountable. As a deterrent to others, they should be sentenced to prison.
This round of elections has wreaked havoc on the Nigerian psyche. Even with the tarnished images of our security and protective agencies, the judiciary that has failed to punish electoral fraudsters in the past, and now, the academia that has produced suspicious professors for the electoral process, it is rapidly bringing down the dignity of our revered institutions.
Furthermore, diplomats in the country, such as the outgoing British High Commissioner, should learn to avoid meddling in
local politics by not congratulating candidates too soon. Her responsibilities do not include anointing governors. She would not have been faulted for congratulating Binani before deleting the tweet if she had done the same for all delayed winners, but choosing her Adamawa implies that he has chosen sides.
How do you congratulate when the results are still being compiled and no announcement has been made? Whoever recruited her for this anti-Adamawa campaign duped her severely.
We will keep vigil unwaveringly. We will defend our voting rights. Our people will ensure that the margin is increased even further now that we understand what they meant when they said “by hook or by crook.” While they engage in their worst shenanigans, our spotlessly clean conduct, backed by the people’s unwavering resolve, cannot fail to overwhelm them.
Populist salus, suprema lex. The highest law is the will of the people. So it will be in Adamawa State.