This Fraudulent Election Will Never Stand Jide Ayobolu The 2007 election organize by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is the worst in the history of the country. Elections never really took place in the real, elections took place in a few urban centers, and elections never took place in the rural areas. Ballot bags were taken to houses of party chieftain where ballot papers were thumb printed. This was the system adopted by the PDP all of the country thereby to rig elections and plan coup against the people of the federal republic of Nigeria. The PDP has been a monumental failure and an unmitigated disaster since 1999, it has not been able to deliver on its electoral promises, it has not been able to get the basic dividends of democracy to the people. It has constantly subverted the rule of law, due process and constitutionalism; it has regularly and flagrantly disobeyed court orders. Obasanjo’s led government since 1999 represented the worst form of democratic government in the country. The 2007 election is a grand deception to hoodwink the people of the Country. INEC did a very shoddy job, pre-arrangement for the elections was nothing to write home about, and the so-called electronic data capture machine was used to short-change the people. The whole registration exercise is a big sham. INEC is an integral part of the PDP and everything was done by it to make that PDP win the election at all cost against the wish of the people, thereby giving vent to the do or die tactics in the run up to the 2007 election. Both soldiers and policemen, in collaboration with INEC officials as well as the PDP went all out to rig the election; it was as result of this that violent protest throughout the country greeted the outcome of the fraudulent election. And, from Sokoto to Port-Harcourt, from Abeokuta to Jigawa, the story is the same, rigging, rigging, rigging. The PDP claimed to have won the election, but could not celebrate its ill-gotten victory. It is as a result of this that both the local and international observers roundly condemned the 2007 election in Nigeria. In spite of complaints and allegations of massive rigging by the opposition over the just concluded presidential polls, the PDP, said it is satisfied with the results released by the INEC. However, both the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Nigeria and Anglican Communion of Nigeria have condemned the election in its entirety, saying it was fraught with irregularities. Similarly in mosques across the country the outcome of the election has been described as grossly manipulated to favour some cliques in the country. Allover the country plans are underway for mass protest and civil disobedience, the singular act of massive election rigging by the PDP has overheated the polity to no ends. In fact, the situation is so bad in the country that, elections in Nigeria, is now compared to those of Somalia, Mongolia, Mexico and what have you. Meaning that Nigeria which is the most populous Black Country in the whole world has indeed become an embarrassment to every Blackman everywhere in the world. This is not democracy at all but some other form of autocratic regime. Nigeria has never had it so bad, not even in 1983, this is the worst ever we have had. It is in this that Professor Wole Soyinka has called for the cancellation of the 2007 election as well as the resignation of Professor Murice Iwu for what he called incompetence. He went on to say that the 2007 election is the worst ever in the history of democratic governance in Nigeria. There is no way Yar’Adua will preside over the affairs of the Nigerian State, this is because he lacks legitimacy, and people will continue to haul abuses at him, because electoral manipulation is the highest form of corruption. Those that have stolen the mandate of others and have subverted the electoral process have no moral right and credibility to rule the country. This is not what Nigerians want, this is not what they deserve, this is what Obasanjo and his shameless foot-soldiers have foisted on Nigerians. There is no doubt whatsoever that this fraudulent will be cancelled at the electoral tribunals. The grand conspiracy by the ruling party in conjunction with INEC and the security forces to perpetuate itself in power and turn this country into one-party state has become obvious to all and sundry. The sham that took place otherwise called election. Their desperation to cling to power by muzzling the opposition by all means possible and at all cost, shows how cowardly, insecure and unsure of their popularity they are. A student who has studied hard for an examination does not need to resort to exam malpractice to pass. The ruling party (PDP) has failed woefully in terms of performance and governance, and monumental failure was very apparent, hence, the resort to rigging to hang on to power ad infinitum. Why do we have leaders who do not have the fear of God? Why is it that they are always very selfish? Is this what service to the public all about? So, what is the very essence of public service? When will our leaders learn not to take us for granted? With this monumental fraud, is the whole war against corruption not a sham? Have our so-called leaders learnt anything from history? Was this not the same thing that happened in 1983, when the NPN celebrated its moon-slide victory, before Nigerians knew what was amiss, the military struck and the country was in the wilderness for about 20 years? But those at the helm of affairs today seem to have forgotten what the country went through to bring about the present civilian administration. Perhaps to in government today, did not participate in the struggle to get the military out power, in fact, they are military apologists, who have always benefited from the military jackboot. but can anything good come out of the people that stolen the people’s mandate? Anything that is not predicated on the truth cannot stand the test of time; if we as a people allow this lie to stay, then Nigeria will be perpetual darkness. May the good Lord rescue Nigeria from the yoke babacracy.
By Jide Ayobolu Abuja -Nigeria
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