Who is Congratulating Iwu? By Joachim Ibeziako Ezeji
It was amusing reading through a congratulatory message posted in a national newspaper. The message was done by a group that identified itself as Umukabia community. The Umukabia community that posted that message is in Isiala Mbano local government area of Imo state. From the style and wordings of the message it was clear that those behind it were Prof. Iwu’s kinsmen.
I do not intend to cast aspersions to the Umukabia people and their ‘well beloved son’ but I doubt what the average Umukabia man has got to gain with such unabashed public ridicule. I know that all well meaning Umukabia people will be disappointed with their son’s poor performance in public office. No doubt, even more infuriated with the pretence of posturing them as solidarity to a son that failed. As the Igbo proverb will say “Onye onye ya na agba ajo egwu, oko nku anya na ako ya’’. Those who placed such flamboyant message should have a rethink.
I do not begrudge a group of kinsmen from felicitating with their son. But such should be in consonance with general applause. Otherwise shows mischief and belittles the people. It rather stirred the inquest to really know how Prof Maurice Iwu feels these days. I would like to know if he is innately happy or otherwise with the way and manner that he conducted the April 2007 elections.
Having bungled the 2007 elections and aborting the freewill of the Nigerian people, one would have expected Iwu to show immense remorse, resign and profusely apologize to Nigerians. Instead of doing just that what we see is paid advertorials from both veiled and proxy groups congratulating Prof Iwu for his dis-service to Nigerians. I don’t believe that message came from true sons of Umukabia. They should be courageous enough to disclaim that message. What is expected from Umukabia community instead is to recall and scold their son for bringing shame and opprobrium to the Igbo race in general.
I am glad that Rtd. Gen Buhari and his party the All Nigerian Peoples Party have requested the president to sack Iwu with ignominy as a condition for the party to mellow down and allow the fraudulent polls to stand. I doubt if Alhaji Musa Yar Adua will be willing to do this. However, one thing is sure, and that is that a new INEC must have Iwu as the number one casualty.
Beyond the posturing and pretences of solidarity to Iwu, Nigerians are watching with awe the on-going drama in the election tribunals. It behooves Iwu and his INEC to bare their wares for inspection. The tribunals across the land have ordered INEC to allow aggrieved parties inspect the materials and documents used in the April polls.
I am happy with the new turn of events in
Anambra. In delivering its judgement on Obi’s case the supreme court had
berated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for going
ahead with the conduct of election into the office of the Governor of the
state when the case was still pending before a court of law.
The court, in a unanimous
decision in which all the seven justices on the panel including George
Oguntade, O. Aderemi, Tanko, Dahiru Musdapher put the litigants on the
edge of the seats throughout the hearing, said that the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) took a "serious risk" and gamble
when, despite the fact that the case was before the court, conducted the
governorship election in Anambra State.
The court held that the action of INEC was
defiant and daring and capable of sending a wrong signal that once an
action was done, it could not be reversed. Justice Alu ordered that the
office of the governor of Anambra state was not vacant as at the time INEC
conducted the election, adding that as a commission set up by the
constitution, INEC would have followed the spirit and letters of the same
constitution to guide its actions.
That INEC utterly refused to walk the
constitutional path, he said, made the issue of when Obi took oath of
allegiance and oath of office the more relevant. "I hereby in the
circumstance order that Andy Uba should vacate the office immediately and
the appellant runs his full term which ends on the 17th of March 2010
having taken the oath on the 17 of March, 2006," Justice Alu said.
Justice Oguntade came hard on INEC by
describing the conduct of the election as a "subversion of constitution",
which should not stand because the world is watching closely how the
country is operating its democracy. Justice Katsina Alu said the Supreme Court or any other court has a duty to protect the constitution as doing otherwise would spell doom for the country and the nation’s democracy.
It could be remembered that it was the same Prof. Iwu acting like an emperor that had barred Obi and other contestants from contesting the April elections despite numerous pleas by well meaning Nigerians.Prof.Iwu also turned deaf ears to the fact that the case was already in the law court. This judgment further unveils the foul dispositions of INEC as led by Iwu. Now whose integrity is in the mud? Who knows, the coming days may be quite interesting.
Before that judgement came the scenario in Owerri, Awka and Benin were any thing but salutary.
Instead of allowing smooth and unhindered inspection of these materials Iwu’s INEC is throwing obstacles.In Awka former Governor Chris Ngige of the Action Congress (AC), former Governor Virgy Etiaba, All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and African Political System (APS), Dr.Alex Obiogbolu, all candidates in the last governorship election in Anambra State and their legal team all waited for more than four hours last Monday at the Awka INEC office all in vain for the required polls documents.
They had converged at the INEC office in obeisance to the order of the election petitions tribunal, which ruled that the April 14 documents be provided to the candidates for inspection. Many of the candidates came with their generating sets, photocopiers and lawyers etc, to inspect, photocopy and certify the documents but could no do so because INEC could not comply. But instead of doing just that INEC opted to hide and seek game with the candidates.
The same scenario played itself out in
Owerri. Despite an order
of Imo State Election Petition Tribunal in Owerri, directing the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow the petitioners,
Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and Chief Martin Agbaso to inspect documents used
in the April governorship election, the Commission refused the duo from
gaining entry into its premises.
He said INEC
denied experts sent by Araraume on his behalf entry into INEC's premises
on the basis that the materials were not readily available for inspection.
On their next line of action, Okoroma said they are going back to the
tribunal to report INEC and wait for the tribunal’s next direction on the
matter. In the case of Agbaso of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the tribunal granted him leave to either by himself or his agents, servants or privies to inspect and examine all the documents, records, materials and other polling documents, especially from EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D, voters register, ad hoc staff list and other documents in the custody of INEC used in the conduct of the governorship election held on April 14, 2007. Both Chief Ifeanyi Ararume and Chief Martin Agbaso and their team are being frustrated. How costly it is to get justice in Nigeria?
An order in Benin to allow Comrade Oshiomole and his team to inspect similar documents in Edo state was greeted with applause by those present but remains to be observed how INEC will comply with such an order. It has already taken three weeks each in both Awka and Owerri since the court order was given yet nothing has happened.
Already the presidential election tribunal
will on June 21 rule on whether to entertain a suit instituted by the
Presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), General
Muhammadu Buhari seeking to commit to prison the Chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Maurice Iwu
over his refusal to allow Buhari's lawyers access to electoral materials
as ordered by the court. The court will on June 21 determine if the
committal charge is competent or not. The Commission allegedly denied
Buhari access to the election materials as requested by him inspite of a
court order that he be allowed to peruse them leading
It could be remembered that it was this same INEC singing like parrot that had boasted that it was going to support and assist all aggrieved candidates with requisite documents at the tribunal. The clay foot in doing just that long after the conclusion of the so called elections and even after an order from the court was obtained further exposes the fact that there were no elections but writing and fudging of results.
I was thinking that Prof. Maurice Iwu would use the tribunals to put his detractors and pundits to shame. I am still expecting Iwu to reclaim his integrity and those of the Igbo race especially the Igbo people of Umukabia. For now all that INEC could offer is an extra salt to the injury.
I take serious exception to the charade called goodwill message by a select few who have questionable integrity and livelihood. The people of Umukabia and any other group whatsoever should rather dissociate itself from the fraud that was visited on the nation by INEC as piloted by their son.
Why not the Nigerian Society of pharmacist or the Nigerian Medical Association; why not the Nigerian Union of Teachers or the Nigerian Bar Association come forward and congratulate Iwu and his INEC? What cheap political points does Iwu want to achieve. Perhaps he will file those fake congratulatory advertorials and forward them to his friends in the United States as an alibi that some Nigerians still accepted his ‘failure’.
Where was Iwu when the international observers scored his performance abysmal? A congratulatory message such as those from Umukabia is not only macabre and absurd but shameful. It diminishes the people of that little community in the eyes of fair minded but aggrieved Nigerians. It is a show of shame and should be discouraged.
For now lets leave Prof. Maurice Iwu alone to carry his cross!
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