Nigeria’s April 2007 General Elections: A First Degree Murder of Africa’s Largest Democratic Experiment

By

Dan Azumi Kofarmata

Monday, 07 May 2007

The outcomes of Nigeria’s first ever civilian-to-civilian political leadership succession process that started on April 14 and 21, 2007 respectively were as usual, predictably a huge mockery of the civilized democratic processes, norms and ethos, to say least. The so-called elections were conducted under a supposedly elected democratic regime headed by President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

We don’t need a Professor of Political Science or the Chief of the United Kingdom’s world renowned Scotland Yard Police detectives or even the Head of the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for that matter, to tell us what actually took place during those horrendous election dates. It was obvious to all Nigerians and the international community at large, that no credible elections took place on those dates. However, we had the unfortunate situation whereby, a questionable “Professor” by name Maurice Iwu, who claims to be a “specialist” on African traditional medicinal herbs and plants, to conduct the worlds worst ever general elections in any given democratic society in this century.

“Professor” Iwu we were informed, was handpicked and recommended to President Obasanjo by another fake virtual space-online PhD degree holder in the person of Andy Uba, (erstwhile President Obasanjo’s Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Matters and now, quite expectedly, Anambra State Governor-elect) to head Nigeria’s so-called Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The “election” results declared by “Professor” Iwu’s INEC were truly horrific – but no surprise to those readers of my write-ups that often appear on this website. It really makes me very sad to say I told you so – but I did, and so did many other regular writers on this website and elsewhere. In my previous articles for example, I kept saying the obvious that, President Obasanjo had vowed never to allow any of the trio of Vice President Atiku Abubakar, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) and General Muhammadu Buhari respectively to succeed him. As a matter of fact, he said it will be over his dead body for that to be contemplated. No wonder therefore he further qualified his dislike of these individuals as a “do or die” affair during the electioneering campaign tours he organised and spearheaded for his hand-picked successor – Governor Umaru Musa Yar Adua, now crown- President.

I also alerted readers to the fact that, more than 50 percent of the so-called Nigeria’s 50 registered political parties were directly and indirectly formed, registered and funded either by the ruling PDP or the Nigerian establishment. Therefore, when talking about opposition political parties, we should be mindful of those that I termed Trojan horse’s political parties and politicians. This category of political parties and individuals exist to play the role of moles – infiltrating the genuine opposition political parties and feeding intelligence to the ruling PDP apparatchiks and the establishment. They are also instruments of divide, conquer and rule strategy created by the ruling PDP to achieve its objective of ruling Nigeria forty years and beyond. Let me cite some few examples here to buttress what I am saying. Take the case of Kebbi State Governor Adamu Aliero who formally switched over his 9 years membership of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to the ruling PDP just few weeks to the start of the general elections. In doing so, he also took along with him the estranged former ANPP Deputy Governor of Sokoto State. That was how General Muhammadu Buhari and his skeleton ANPP were tackled and given instant killer blows in Kebbi and Sokoto States respectively by the ruling PDP. All thanks and credits go to the efforts of the EFCC in these states.

Sadly again, Governor Orji Uzo Kalu shot himself in the foot and got himself into one of the traps set against him by the ruling PDP and the state establishment. He unintelligently recruited a PDP and establishment double agent as his vice presidential running mate! Has Governor Kalu suddenly forgotten about the treacherous roles played by Governor Adamu Aliero, Chief Don Etiebet, Senator Mahmud Waziri and Adamu Abdulkadir against their respective political parties on behalf of the ruling PDP? The rest is now history. We should expect to see more of the so-called registered political parties and shameless individuals trooping to congratulate Umaru Musa Yar Adua and pay their unflinching total support and allegiance to him. After all, they are playing the role they were in the first place recruited and paid to do.

Therefore what happened during the April 2007 general elections conducted by “Professor Iwu’s inept INEC; under the guidance and instructions from Nigeria’s Chief Garrison Commander President Obasanjo and the ruling PDP apparatchiks, can best be mildly described as first degree murder of Africa’s largest democratic experiment, to say the least.

What patriotic Nigerians irrespective of political allegiances, religious and ethnic background must demand from the Federal government and the National Assembly are the following:

Proclamation of a national state of emergency by the National Assembly effective from May 29, 2007;
Immediate outright annulment of the general elections;
Immediate dissolution of the INEC as presently constituted;
Set up a broad National Emergency and Transition Management Committee backed by an Act of the National Assembly and headed by the Senate President with effect from May 29, 2007;
The composition of the National Emergency and Transition Management Committee should draw membership from all the political parties that participated in the flawed general elections and relevant national bodies dealing with national security and intelligence amongst others;
The National Emergency and Transition Management Committees should among other immediate tasks, order an independent judicial inquiry into the scandalous April 14 and 21 general elections. The enquiry must have the fullest powers and the most searching remit. The inquiry must be charged with finding out what went wrong with the entire processes and procedures for the preparations and conduct of the general elections. This is to provide the basis for taken corrective actions in order to restore the confidence of Nigerians and the international community in Nigeria’s democratic process;
The National Emergency and Transition Management Committee should conduct fresh elections all over the country within six months and oversee the day to day affairs of the country within the six months period using the civil service.
The National Emergency and Transition Management Committee should NOT undertake any new project, award major contracts, allocate oil block or financial commitment outside preparations and conduct of fresh elections and payment of salaries and entitlements of civil servants, the armed forces and police etc;
Finally, the present national electoral crisis is not an issue that should be addressed at personal or individuals levels; that is, it should not be reduced to Yar'Adua, Buhari and Vice President Atiku political battles. Rather, it should be tackled as an issue of urgent national importance. That is why it is fundamentally wrong for some individual stakeholders to start calling upon Governor Umaru Musa Yar' Adua to convene an all stakeholders' meeting to address the current political quagmire. We must remember that Governor Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua is not constitutionally and legally speaking, Nigeria’s President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces yet. That will only come when he probably takes the Oath of Office and Allegiance on May 29, 2007. Therefore, convoking an all stakeholders meeting to find the way out of the current electoral mess should be the responsibility of the National Assembly, political parties and civil society organisations. If accepted by the stakeholders, the proposed National Emergency and Transition Management Committee can provide the non-violent political solution to the electoral crisis. Furthermore, the proposed forum can fashion out a national framework to discuss a genuine national agenda and agree on major electoral amendments, including the restructuring of INEC to make the electoral umpire truly independent. This means that organised dialogue would form the basis for resolving the current electoral quagmire. Nigerians will demand no less and, the time to act is now.