That the presidential and National Assembly elections which took place on Saturday, February 25, 2023 were a sham is not contestable. There were many obvious infractions. The governorship and state Assembly elections that took place last Saturday, March 18, appeared to be worse. Either deliberately or otherwise, the National Electoral Commission (INEC) fumbled, making our democracy a laughing stock in the world.
There were early signs that the governorship election would go the way of the presidential election. Threats and violence against political opponents rose to fever pitch. In Lagos, there were attacks on the governorship campaign train of the Labour Party candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour. About two days to the governorship election, Labour Party (LP) House of Assembly campaign train was also attacked in Surulere area of Lagos. Many people sustained injuries. Before this barbaric act, some markets populated mainly by the Igbo in Lagos were vandalized for purportedly voting against the ruling party in the presidential election.
A few days to the March 18 elections, there were threats against non-indigenes, especially the Igbo residing in Lagos. The Chairman of Lagos State Parks Management Committee, Mr. Musiliu Akinsanya also known as MC Oluomo, audaciously told the Igbo to stay in their houses if they would not vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC). He later recanted, saying he was joking. We were told the police had commenced investigations into Oluomo’s inciting comments. But to what end? We know he is untouchable as he is very useful to the powers that be in Lagos state.
The last time I checked, no Igbo man contested the governorship of Lagos State. But the narrative in town was that Igbo wanted to take over Lagos. Suddenly, some traditional rulers in Lagos declared Oro festival some of which fell even on the day of the election. As is customary with the festival, women and strangers were warned to stay in their homes.
Despite all these danger signals, our INEC and security agencies still fumbled big time on the Election Day. They watched as party thugs had a field day, breaking ballot boxes, intimidating voters and inflicting injuries on innocent people who came out to exercise their franchise in states like Lagos, Enugu, Edo, Rivers, Delta and many others. Not even journalists were spared. Africa Independent Television’s Henrietta Oke, Amarachi Amushie and Nkiru Nwokedi were reportedly molested at some polling units in Eti-Osa, Ifako-Ijaiye and Amuwo Odofin areas of Lagos by political thugs. Amushie’s camera was damaged. At Elegushi area of Lagos, hoodlums were said to have attacked Arise TV crew comprising reporter Oba Adeoye, cameraman Opeyemi Adenihun and driver Yusuf Hassan. Some journalists suffered the same fate in Ogun and Rivers states.
At Surulere area of Lagos, video of an INEC official saying there wouldn’t be uploading of result after the election went viral. She told whoever didn’t want to vote because of that to go home. There was also video of fracas at a polling unit at Ago Palace way, Lagos, when thugs came to attack people and snatch ballot boxes. Not long after, one of the thugs fell and became lifeless. What I’m not sure is if he was knocked down by police bullet or by the mob. In many other areas of Lagos, those who would not vote for the APC were not allowed to vote. It was pathetic!
It is insulting to say the least that rather than plead for forgiveness of its sins and the deliberate crisis it created in Lagos, the APC came out with a statement denying the obvious. The party’s Spokesman in Lagos, Seye Oladejo, said his party was compiling reports of how APC supporters were harassed and attacked. Some of the reports, he said, were really scary. He was reacting to Rhodes-Vivour’s statement accusing INEC and the police of doing nothing while a lot of places were under attack by APC thugs and hooligans.
Oladejo said, “Now the LP candidate is playing the victim. This old trick won’t work; discerning Lagosians know they are all lies deployed to attract sympathy. Our party has no need to be violent because we are sure of the glittering credentials of our candidate Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu who will never be associated with violence.” Shame! There is no problem if Sanwo-Olu genuinely wins in Lagos. He has done some good works in the state. But there is a problem if that win is tainted with violence, rigging, intimidation, attacks and even deaths.
In Rivers State, it is the same story. The governorship candidates of some opposition political parties had recently protested to the headquarters of the Police in the state. They accused the state governor, Nyesom Wike, of intimidating them. The same Wike also intimidated and actually helped to engender a sham presidential election in Rivers State on February 25. Our security agencies did nothing. Our INEC did nothing. And we claim to be practising democracy.
The so-called National Peace Committee headed by General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.) gather candidates together to sign peace accord every election cycle. What do they do after organizing this photo show? How do they ensure that the parties maintain this elusive peace before and during elections? From what I have seen so far, the committee is needless. General Abubakar merely came out few days to the governorship election to express worry over open threats of intimidation and violence by certain elements using ethnic and religious labels to achieve their intentions of voters’ suppression. After that, what next?
The next refrain now will be, if you are not satisfied with the election, go to court. But shall we trust our judiciary to rise up to the occasion and save our dying democracy? It is said to be the last hope of the common man. But once this hope is lost, our democracy will be in serious danger.
We must avoid a throwback to the First and Second Republics which saw politicians messing up our electoral processes and democracy with impunity. This engendered some crisis in the polity and ultimately brought about military interventions.
To avoid violent change, we must make peaceful, free and fair elections possible. Our votes must count and we must perish this weird idea that power is not served a la carte; that we must snatch it and run with it, to paraphrase the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. We must all rise to defend our democracy if we still desire a nation called Nigeria.
Re: Igbophobia as campaign strategy in Lagos
There is no need for one to be scared of the sudden development in the Nigerian political space. Igbophobia is only a thing of the mind as opposed to the reality of the Tsunami of the moment. No political Party is more Nigerian than the Labour Party founded, owned and run under the very austere conditions that are synonymous with the Nigeria Labour Congress. The Labour Party is Civil Service friendly; it has the Nigerian workers, their sympathizers and the like as its focus. Obi stands on a national platform, he appeals to the Nigerian people, and that is why the Obi wave in spite of its late entry has swept across all tribal barriers in the South-South and South East – the proverbial political shopping centre for all parties – which for the first time in a long time are seen giving bloc votes to the Labour Party. The Labour Party’s incursion into the North, though marginal, is also worthy of mention. Why the Obi wind of change has not blown across the South West is not unnatural! The Presidential Election outcome as it affects Abuja and Lagos – two cosmopolitan areas that wear the true face of the Nigerian nation – has exhibited an unimpeachable proof of Obi’s national acceptance. Obi is also the only candidate who has thrown up the very serious constitutional issue of the combined provisions of Sections 134 (2) (a) and 299 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended which literal meaning cannot be faulted on the altar of political interpretation. Those who have ‘fraudulently foisted’ Igbomania on a National Movement are on their own: they are the real enemies of this country.
-Edet Essien Esq. Cal. South, +234 810 809 5633
Casmir, the way one lays his/her bed is how he/she would lie on it. To every action there is a reaction! The chickens came home to roost in the ‘abridged’ result of Lagos and they are now crying over a deed that has been done and the ‘full version’ would still be done, if not now, but in the nearest future. Lagos has to be delivered from the stranglehold of demagogues like Tinubu. He gives N10 and takes away N1000 from citizens. Now, Lagos voters have shined their eyes and are revolting through their votes to end ‘his nonsense’. Where were his supporters when he arrogantly said when he sleeps Lagos sleeps and when he wakes up Lagos wakes up! He also said “he has Lagos in his pocket”. Certainly, pride goes before a fall! Tinubu and his supporters should look at his ‘haughty nature’ that sets Lagos voters against him instead of pointing accusing fingers at only Igbo voters. A ‘cosmopolitan Lagos’ that is full of educated people would ultimately resist him. Lagos has Christians and Muslims in equal proportions. Ninety of Christians won’t vote for ‘anybody’ with ‘same faith’ ticket; be it M-M or C-C ticket. I hope Sanwo-olu’s ‘balanced ticket’ doesn’t suffer ‘collateral damage’ as my write-up is belated.
-Mike, Mushin Lagos, +234 816 111 4572
Igbokwe, your article: ‘Igbophobia as campaign strategy in Lagos’, makes a fine reading. Originally I’m from Ogoniland, but residing in Port Harcourt. Now get this: the Nigerian state will soon implode, the fault lines are so many and manifest strongly now than ever before. Nigeria is not a nation yet, but a hurried contraption remotely teleguided from London, for the interest of Britain.
-Barry in Ogoniland, +234 803 435 6380
Dear Casy, the case of Igbos in Nigeria is a case of: ‘we don’t want them but we need them.’ A case of: I forbid consumption of dog-meat but give it to me, let me share it with my teeth to those who eat it.’ Casy, who then is fooling whom? It is the political power poachers, especially those with born-to-rule mentality, but disadvantaged by the lack of one or two endearing political ingredients, in their unholy desperation for power, that keep fooling the gullible and lowly citizens at their beck and call whom they indoctrinate and turn into goons against the Igbos. But what the power poachers do not know is that as the injustice against the Igbos has attained crescendo, some day soon, the prophecy of the late Martin Luther, at the height of the subjugation of the blacks, shall resonate here in Nigeria in favour of the Igbos where justice, equity and fair play shall seamlessly hold sway. The Obidients with ‘no structure’ that rattled the establishment is a veritable reference.
-Steve Okoye, Awka, 08036630731.
Dear Casmir, the constitution declared the whole country no man’s land in section 15 subsection 3b. So expatriates can be political leaders in any state. The secret is to mix up linguistically and marritally. Goodluck to all contestants.
-Cletus Frenchman, Enugu, +2349095385215