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Professor Maurice Iwu is no doubt a household name to most Nigerians particularly voters in the April this year’s elections, political scientists and politicians within and out of Nigeria. Specifically, from the early days of the year 2005, Nigerian politicians have started expressing fears and came to the conclusion that the much awaited 2007 general elections may not after all be free, fair and credible under Maurice Iwu’s Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Nigerians hope then was to unseat the unpopular and non performing Peoples Democratic Party, PDP misrule under the hands of Dictator Olusegun Obasanjo.

Some concerned Politicians, particularly those in the opposition parties, notably ANPP and others mischievously and maliciously christened ‘enemies’ of former President Obasanjo within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP led by his Vice President Atiku Abubakar have several times cried out against the discriminatory policy directives, statements and instructions meted out to INEC Commissioners across the states and to the political parties by Maurice Iwu. From the word go, Nigerians have sensed that the results of the April 2007 elections may not give them the much anticipated cream of elected officers of their choice. They have come to the conclusion that Iwu was determined to cook up results different from their actual votes cast. They have seen Iwu’s handwriting on the wall.

They were unanimous that Iwu as a cash and carry technocrat , was in conjunction with Obasanjo as leader of do or die politics and the ruling Ahmadu Ali as the ruling PDP’s Garrison Commander General  bent on imposing leaders at various levels on Nigerians against their wish.

Iwu’s attempt to subvert the peoples’ will became more evident shortly after prominent Nigerians like former Vice President and undisputably the leader of the opposition in the country, Atiku Abubakar alerted Nigerians on behind the scene moves to rule forever by Obasanjo and his resolve to thwart Obasanjo’s attempts to remain in power till eternity through what was popularly called tenure elongation, otherwise known as third term. The desperation of Obasanjo and his agents to foist on Nigerians unpopular and unelected leaders has become a nightmare to many Nigerians.

Today Obasanjo has succeeded in using Iwu’s INEC to impose elected officials at various levels on Nigerians including their President, state governors, and national and state assemblies’ members. Going by wide condemnation of the April 2007 general elections as the worst in the country’s history of the conduct of elections, it is clear that the elections were far from being free, fair, transparent and credible. Even international observers from the African Union, European Union and other local and international Non Governmental Organizations have described the elections as the most fraudulent ever and have consequently called for its cancellation. Thank God that the various election petition tribunals have started redressing the subversion of the peoples will and votes by Obasanjo and his agent, Iwu.

Nigerians are not however surprised that Iwu has till today maintained that the 2007 elections conducted by him have been free, fair and successful. Iwu, who was speaking at the public presentation of the 2007 INEC’s official report in Abuja recently added’ the elections outcome reflects the intent of the Nigerian public’.

One can confidently say that Iwu is an unrepentant, shameless and serial liar. This is so because Iwu had before, during and after the April 2007 elections made statements that later turned out to be in sharp contrast with the commission’s actions in terms of preparations and conduct of the April 2007 elections.

Even the Editorial of Leadership on Sunday newspaper of October 21, 2007 titled ‘Iwu should stop lying’, did say: “Iwu must be shameless to say that the elections were free, fair and successful. He himself knows that his statement contradicts the feelings of almost all Nigerians, supported by the international observers ….”

I for one quite agree with the view of the newspaper that it is lamentable that our country is not one where misdemeanour is appropriately sanctioned. That is why culprits like Iwu unabashedly and without remorse have the effrontery to insult our sensibilities every now and then. Iwu must be bold enough to admit the failings and short comings of the April 2007 elections, which he had from day one set up to crash.

It is important to also acknowledge the efforts of the opposition in putting Iwu under serious watch, particularly that of Atiku’s Action Congress, AC. Only last weekend the National Publicity Secretary of AC, Lai Mohammed did say in a statement on the obvious fact that Nigerians will no longer trust Iwu to conduct fresh or bye elections in the country. According to Lai:  “the mess he made of the April 2007 general elections precludes him and INEC from superintending over any other election in the country.” AC added that the verdicts emanating from various election petition tribunals were testimonies that Iwu was incapable of conducting free and fair elections.

A columnist, Peter Claver Oparah, writing in the New Age newspaper of August 28, 2007 page 9 tilted ‘ of the EU and INEC racketeers’, did summarize the havoc perpetrated by Iwu’s INEC as “ ever since the macabre charade called the April 2007 elections was visited on the country…. It was yet to change the existence of the dirty racketeering ring in INEC, who for the lust for lucre, decided to trifle with an opportunity to set the country on the right path of progress.’

Even The Nation newspaper of October 22, 2007 in its editorial comment titlted ‘unrepentant Maurice Iwu’, agrees with the AC’s call for a new hand in INEC to conduct outstanding elections in the country since Iwu had certainly lost all moral ground to preside over elections in the country.It is the opinion of the paper that ‘even if President Yaradua cannot muster the courage to fire him, Iwu should bury his head in shame , rather than atrutting around unashamedly, after nearly plunging the country into disaster.’

It is important to recall that Iwu had shortly after the April general elections said that the country’s voter’s register was not ready for use in the country’s local government elections. In fact, the register can not be used for council elections until it was reviewed. This opinion sounds funny because the same register Iwu was talking about was used to conduct presidential, governorship, state and national assembly elections last April. So shouldn’t the same register be used for the council elections? Is Iwu again up to some funny conducts? Well, only time will tell.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Iwu has not only failed in discharging his responsibilities as an impartial umpire in the elections, but has been an accomplice in the thwarting of the popular choice of candidates by Nigerians at all levels of elective positions in the country. Iwu had greatly compromised his office against the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians to elect leaders of their choice and not impose elected officers on them.

Iwu must be made to account for his sins. He must be brought to justice and suffer the consequences of betraying the trust reposed on him by Nigeria and Nigerians and not by Obasanjo. He must be made to face the full weight of the law. This will then serve as a deterrent to others in future.