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Rigged Deeply Flawed Controversial Election Any Solution By Babandi Gumel
Charade, deeply flawed Nigerians traumatised and brutalised, a step backward as having no legitimacy and fraudulent were some of the phrases and words used to describe the recent elections alleged to have been massively rigged. Marred with irregularities fraud intimidation and unnecessary violence which left more than 200 people dead the election has been described as the worst election ever conducted since Independence. For the President Obasanjo to come out openly and admitted the imperfection of the poll justified the criticisms levelled against the conduct of the Poll which fell short of International standard.
Majority of the observers both local and international were of the opinion that the Poll both the Regional and the Presidential elections were marred with massive rigging which made it far from free and fair thereby making it imperfect as confirmed the President Obasanjo himself who said in an interview that the elections was far from perfect. He however said the magnitude of the flaw was not so much to make the result null and void. But his critics were not satisfied or impressed with the explanation of the outgoing President whom they accused as handpicking ‘Yar Adua as successor in a controversial election described by EU Observers as not credible. According to the Observers at least 200 people were killed in election-related violence therefore in their views have not lived up the hopes and expectations of Nigerians which made it not credible.
The opposition have asked members of Parliament to annul the election and set up an interim Administration to take over from the President. One of the Presidential Candidates Major General Muhammadu Buhari of the ANPP rejected the Presidential election result which gave Governor Umaru ‘Yar Adua more than 70% of the votes cast as bluntly rigged and called on the Senate Members to impeach President Obasanjo. The Opposition said the result was manipulated through violence, and rigging which resulted in an unnecessary loss of many Nigerian lives. The Vice President Atiku Abubakar who contested the election under the platform of the AC Party also completely rejected the election as sham and demanded a re-run which President Obasanjo insisted not.
A coalition of civil society observers called on the election they described as charade to be cancelled because in their opinion a democratic arrangement founded on such fraud can have no legitimacy. The former US Secretary of State Madeliene Albright heading the International Observer Team described the election as flawed and a step backward although she stopped short of calling it to be overturned hoping that it would be resolved peacefully. However a Senator of the US Foreign Relation Sub-Committee on Africa Mr Russ Feingold has called on President Bush not to recognise ‘Yar Adua as the next President. He said irregularities, intimidation and fraud which marred the poll would undermine what he called “our commitment to good governance transparency and the building of strong democracies” .
The British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett has also expressed concern about the reports which they received regarding the election which fell short of international standard. Mr Tom Ikimi former Foreign Minister and an ANPP Stalwart had said all the opposition parties have rejected the results and were going to take the matter legally in court. The President Catholic Bishops Conference Rev Felix Alaba Job described how the Country and the whole world attested the way the mandate of Nigerians was abused, traumatised and brutalised and famous International Republican Institute IRI described the Poll as below acceptable standard. Only ‘Yar Adua himself the presumed winner defended the conduct of the election as one of the best organised in Nigeria and extended his hand for reconciliation with the opposition. Among the complaints levelled against the Poll included the allegations of intimidation of voters the perceived partisanship of INEC the Commission that oversee the conduct of the Poll, high incidence of violence that were recorded, the snatching and theft of ballot boxes and election materials. In addition the Commission officials were also accused of corrupt practices by their deliberate refusal to provide adequate voting materials at polling stations that were insufficient.
When Colin Powell former American Secretary of State criticised Nigeria as Nation of Scammers he was heavily criticised until he made apology but the amount of irregularities, intimidation and level of fraudulent activities recorded in the last election undermine the effort being done to build a better strong democracy in the Country. As Gamji Columnist and Political commentator Mohammed Haruna described anyone who pronounced this election as a success must be suffering from a delusion describing it in his own word as the most shambled election the Country had ever witnessed in history another paper described the result as a road to the formation of what it described as Banana Republic. It was an irony of fate when majority of Nigerians elected Moshood Abiola without any incidence of rigging or corruption in June 1992.
The Ruling Elites then under Military decided to cancel the election which was annulled there and then as he was not there favoured candidate. Now majority of Nigerians have preferred Buhari a former General not preferred by the Ruling Elites to ‘Yar Adua a civilian who is seen as darling of the Ruling Party imposed on Nigerians. They are resisting and struggling hard to come to terms to the massive rigging and irregularities which they witnessed making it even more difficult for him to be accepted. The alleged imposition of the so called favoured candidate against their wishes could bring about the same kind of Orange Revolution seen in Ukraine which brought peaceful changes and an end to the same kind of imposed candidate on the people which they flatly rejected. With little over a Month before President Obasanjo winds up and hands over to his successor it is uncertain and very unlikely the PDP may succeed in wooing or neutralising its critics regarding the conduct of the last election.
While the Ruling Party would continue to insist on the fairness of the election on the other hand the Opposition would continue with their opposition through peaceful protest until the alleged rigging was reversed or re-run the election leaving the two opposing camps on a collision course threatening constitutional crisis. Both parties have to work together to find alternative to this impasse that is why ‘Yar Adua wants reconciliation with opposition. It is left to be seen whether an agreement could be reached on this deadlock with a view to finding compromise solution acceptable to all causing concern to all Nigerians in and abroad.
Wa Akhiri Daawana Anil Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen. |