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Obnoxious and Dangerous Electoral Act (Amendment Bill 2007) By Anthony Okosun Why is it that Nigerians never learn from history. Even recent history. Why is the senate meddling and gambling with Nigeria's electoral laws. Remember the June 12 1993 elections won by the bon vivant, epicurean, sybarite, hedonistic and monstrously philanthropic Aare M. K. O. Abiola, annulled by the smiling and Machiavellian Ibrahim Babangida. Then the emergence of dangerously dictatorial and draconian Sani Abacha. Thereafter, the death of the high principled, honorable and scrupulous Abiola, the nuncio, plenipotentiary, sire, strategist, political patriarch and political architect Shehu Musa Yar Adua , the bankroller and the gentle- patriotic- political struggle- financier backer Chief Alfred Rewane et al. The imprisonment of Matthew Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo and the exile of the visionary old democratic soldier Chief Anthony Enahoro, literary pedagogue and nobel award narcissist Wole Soyinka and the Lagos political demagogue, rabble rouser, haranguer, and incendiary, Bola Tinubu among others too numerous to mention. Those who are saddled with the leadership of Nigeria at this time must be careful not to throw Nigeria into another dark era. As they say no country survives two civil wars. Postponing an election in a civilised democracy would require a constitutional amendment. In the U. S. A. where the constitution is well respected, former President Abraham Lincoln did not cancel the 1864 presidential election during the American Civil war.
An election is a platform that allows the masses to choose their leaders. It must be free, fair devoid of any pre-conceived, pre-ordained and clandestine agenda, if the polity is to enjoy an atmosphere of peace, freedom and progressive political, social and economic mobility.
Nigeria's current election laws maneuvering and manipulating drama started when President Olusegun Obasanjo attempted to amend Nigeria's constitution to enable him get a third term shot at the presidency. He was however humbled to his real size by an unprecedented local, international, congressional , judicial and press resistance. With the new amendments to the electoral laws it is obvious that President Olusegun Obasanjo has decided to reposition the goal posts in the last quarter of the game.
The new laws that allows the national electoral agency known in Nigeria as INEC to suspend elections indefinitely appears to be a repackaging of the scuttled and torpedoed third term attempt. Consider the President's recent choice and imposition of the sick, unknown and politically weightless Umar Yar Adua on the PDP political behemoth. Consider the domineering, magisterial, peremptory and imperial role the man now known as Baba currently play in the PDP. Your guess is as good as mine; Nigerians must beware.
Why was the Electoral Act (Amendment Bill 2007) very hurriedly passed. ? Why was the new law passed even without a quorum? Why is section 37 sub section 1 of the 2006 version of the same law, which gives INEC the power to POSTPONE elections INDEFINITELY retained. ? Why was no time duration for which INEC could postpone and hold elections in case of the death of a presidential candidate inserted in the new law. ?
Empowering INEC to postpone elections for any reason whatsoever except in the event of a war scenario is unwise. The new law obviously can encourage assassination attempts on leading presidential candidates by those who are benefiting from the status quo and want to retain the status quo. It is interesting to note that Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Mantu who presided , insisted on turning the bill into law despite the fact that there was no quorum formed. Indeed these are sensitive , dangerous, delicate, precarious and portentous times in Nigeria.
ANTHONY OKOSUN (TONYOSUN@YAHOO. CO. UK) WRITES FROM THE WEST COAST OF THE USA.
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