By Victor Enyinnaya on February 27, 2023

Without any prejudice, Nigeria is on the march again with mixed feelings and mixed pictures emerging, reflecting contradictions in an election which the will of the people must prevail, because majority of Nigerian youths who worth their salt were in unionism that a brand new Nigeria is possible. Nigerians looked up to this election that is being hijacked instead of being free, fair, credible and transparent. The confidence is fast fading away.  It has been doubts galore; lack of communication from INEC has worsened the wobbling process. Honestly speaking, something is fundamentally wrong with our electrol process. This is difficult situation at hand presently. It is disheartening to note that after four years of preparations INEC high command still couldn’t post what is generally accepted as result.

INEC created this situation of gunpoint democracy which a particular big politician leached on. None of the promises made by Buhari and INEC boss have been fulfilled. All best practices have been thrown to the wind instead. INEC disobeyed its set rules. INEC’s Mahmoud Yakubu in connivance with security agents  seem  to have subverted the much anticipated seamless Presidential polls once again in Nigeria, which leaves much to be desired.

This kind of slam called Presidential election in 2023 was once experienced far back 1983 that very dark chapter is what Yakubu and his cohorts are now bequeathing on Nigerians...haba!!  The height of manipulation in this year’s Presidential election leaves soured taste in the mouth, making it a mixed bag of contradictions. It is ironic indeed. What we are hearing again this year is the usual rhetorics.  In year like this again we have seen more of gun point democracy a recipe, looming anarchy and sundry putting big question mark on the entire process. INEC’s over boasting of resounding performance but at the end of the day low delivery.

The arrogance of INEC chairman Mahmoud Yakubu remains disheartening as it is worrisome. My take is that Nigeria has acquired for itself the notoriety of a country that does not learn from history. How can a nation thrive on such naughtiness laced in backwardness.  This is blazing ineptitude. It could be safe that INEC is institution of corruption in the electrol process. After INEC chairman, Mahmoud Yakubu gave Nigerians hope that BVAs will stop rigging, he turned around to present the BVAs from uploading to the INEC server, but he forgot that we are in technology era, many Nigerians are technologically literate even more than himself.

To refresh our memories, most of us who were active in 1983 would vividly remember that year’s Presidential election where the defunct National Party of Nigeria, NPN manipulated elections and at the end of the day, this Mahammadu Buhari led other soldiers to push out the late Shehu Shagari and took over the government. What came after the inglorious poll is now history.

The present scenario in 2023 Presidential election is tilting towards such dangerous dimension.

Like 1983 Nigerians came out in great numbers to vote out the then NPN government that looted and reduced Nigeria into nothingness like what the APC has dragged Nigeria into oblivion in every sense of the word.

 In civilized climes immunity does not represent impunity.  This present picture APC is painting was exactly how it played out then before Buhari and his junta came knocking. It must be instructively noted that this year’s election was the highest in terms of voters participation  since after 1993 especially the youths who ensured they stayed back to vote for their choice candidate. Such enthusiasm by the youths cut across the entire country.

The youths who the APC wrote off as social media noise makers proved them wrong as they were all  over the places armed with their PVCs, waited patiently and cast their ballots for their obvious choice amongst the Presidential candidates, despite obvious intimidation, harassment and total disenfranchisement in many places, the youths proved that they are truly the structure.

It has been short of the expectations and not true reflection of the voters’ choice of both the Nigerian youths who came out massively to vote for their choice candidate. In this era of technology where virtually nothing is hidden, not so surprising that INEC after much delay came out with questionable figures different from what was captured at polling booths, by party agents who counted the votes and recorded by these teeming youths.  It is instructive to report the way and manner youths came out fully to vote last week Saturday, February 25, was the way Nigerians came out to vote in 1993 and the election was cancelled by the Military.  1983, 1993 and now 2023 one is tempted to ask what is the spirit behind these remarkable dates/ figures.

Sadly, INEC is dishing out its highly manipulated numbers it worked out in collaboration with the ruling party, APC against the will of the masses which has always been the system. This 2023 election is said to have been rigged at the local government levels and party agents seem to have proofs for that.

We saw the gun point democracy that greeted the exercise in many parts of Lagos State where elections still did not hold in some parts of the State as at the time of putting this page to bed.  It was glaring the way and manner Lagos State acted like different republic and above the law.  From what INEC is turning out as results, it is unambiguously clear that INEC boss, Mahmoud Yakubu and the federal government intentionally collaborated and messed up what is supposed to be obvious transparent election.

INEC despite assurances and reassurances that they were ready for the elections, deliberately failed woefully to conduct credible election, one of the worst in Nigeria electrol history.   2023 Presidential election was characterised by intimidation, the process was generally faulty. The election that is supposed to be electronically transmitted is being manually done giving room for manipulation by State governors.

Nigerians and her teeming youths are moody at the moment, as an unease clam fills the air.  All the gains from President Goodluck’s regime where his administration worked so hard to improve electrol process in the country has been totally rubbished by Buhari and his APC despite the introduction of BVAs that has been abandoned for manual transmission of election results.

Sad enough, INEC messed up this seamless the process. INEC boss has sabotage this election again. Election where many people did not vote how you will call such free, fair, credible and transparent. INEC played into the hands of the desperate governors and the ruling party, it was not independent and neutral.  This is serious national breach by Yakubu Mahmoud.

INEC owes Nigerians explanation why it abandoned electronically transmission of results and preferred manual. In a sane society INEC chairman is supposed to be arrested to say all he knows about this nonsense he presided over as national election. You don’t need to look too far to come to concrete terms that INEC boss compromised. INEC chairman allowed much chance and these infractions happening are handiwork of insiders’ connivance with desperate politicians.

Why was BVAs not working real time as promised by INEC chairman.   2023 election is the most expensive election ever conducted in Nigeria but the worst outcome ever.  This is what Buhari is giving out to Nigerians as best election.  Systematically disfranchising Nigerians.  Truly, some INEC officials have done well while its chairman and others are bent in turning the hand of the clock backwards. We must encourage the first time voters by ensuring that their votes count.

This system of power hijack that has been entrenched in Nigeria political space must not be allowed this 2023.  Most Nigerian youths have done pretty great no doubt, INEC has complicated matters. The trust issue has risen again. INEC must be unbundled in future.  The role the governors are playing going to collocation centers remains absurd.  In Rivers State for instance, it was alleged that they took the password, the question is who took the password?   The governors have done more harm than good in our democracy. This election would have moved us closer to where citizens would take over the political calculations in our political scene, but this is not to be again in 2023 Presidential election.

Bluntly put, INEC deliberately derailed this election. All these reports across Lagos State and others were man made and INEC knows inch by inch why this charade of election was mounted. Nigerian Youths proved them wrong despite initial sabotage by INEC and its nefarious denial of their PVCs collection, yet most youths who collected theirs came out in large numbers to cast their ballots and it must be reported here that many could not vote. The often statement “we are ready” by INEC was worst than abysmal.

355 billion Naira was given to conduct this election which INEC confirmed receipt, and then what went wrong?  A lot of people came out to vote but did not vote due to INEC ineptitude, Nigerians are still at a loss to know why this official conspiracy against the will of the people.  This is no election and what will be the outcome remains fearsome as some section of the country have been obviously and openly short changed again in climbing to the governance of the country this time.  The deliberate withholding of passwords by INEC staff were all premeditated, sealed and powered by INEC’s top shots and a certain political party bigwigs.

Let me confess that where BVAs worked, it changed the game except where the INEC adhoc and real staff manipulated them.  INEC did not train their staff to measure up adequately to the contingency, it has made a mess of the whole exercise.

Nigerians are livid with anger. Truth is that there is definite unease clam enveloping the country currently.  While Nigerians are keenly watching this minor INEC and a certain political party is dramatizing.  One hopes that this drama will not end up in tragedy.  BVAs that ought to be game changer turned to bring out lots of begging and unanswered questions.

Basically this is supposed to be a product of acumen.  Ability to manage, ability to trouble shoots before you call for help. Some governors took over collation centers and manipulated voters’ choices by using manual devices to transmit results to INEC offices.  So called law enforcement agents were right there looking the other way while these electrol offences were committed.

While we keep faith that the original will of the people would prevail this youth focused election must not be tempered with. Keep shooting hard till next week. Meanwhile, we wait!!

Source Daily Sports Nigeria

Posted February 27, 2023

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