Yet Another Victory For The Democracy

Yet Another Victory For The Democracy, But …..!

Dikko A. Abbas

The up-holding and formal declaration of Adams Aliu Oshiomhole as the authentic governor elect of Edo State by the Benin Appeal tribunal court on the 11^th Nov. 2008, to my personal opinion, cannot be good enough a reason to once again score the Nigerian judiciary high. Indeed, at the initial stage, soon after the inauguration of the government of Umar Musa Yar’Adua, the judiciary was on its toes to correct most of electoral anomalies perpetrated by the immediate past government of Olusegun Obasanjo during the April 2007 general elections.

That singular action of the third arm of government was praised and up-hold by the Nigerian people, at least to a center level, had started to rekindle the hopes of many and our polity was no doubt, taking a new dimension. Unfortunately, mid-way into the whole affairs, there was a summersault of some sorts, the abuse, manipulation and bastardization of the process began, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, blows the whistle by throwing devastating blows against the judiciary by championing the worst and ugliest scenario judgments. That precipitated spontaneous reaction from the Nigerian people culminating into a forthright condemnation and alleged accuse of money inducement and other influences to pass the judgments in favour of the of government favourites candidates.

However, the affirmation of Adams Aliu Ohiomhole as the substantive governor of Ancient Edo State by the Benin Appeal tribunal headed by the President of the court of Appeal, Justice Abdullahi Farook Umar, to my candid opinion, though stand to be corrected, was as a result of the incongruent action of the Bulkachuwa’s judgments, but…. Can that be said to be the end? How many pending election cases that are standing trial at the election petition tribunals and conventional courts, deliberately delayed in a calculated attempt to manipulate the processes? At least, Delta, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Yobe and Sokoto States respectively are all there hanging in the courts and, what is the judiciary of Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi and Abdullahi Farook Umar is doing to sincerely dispense up with these cases and at the right time?

Our third arm of government which in any case, enjoys constitutional powers and independence, can only be seen to be protecting our nascent democracy and doing the nation proud, if these pending election cases that are laying parlour in our courts are being handle professionally and expeditiously in order to put to rest what has today, become a calamity and albatross to our political and economic advancement. There existed no developed country or one aspiring to develop in the world except Nigeria, where politics and governance has become an investment and a do or die affairs. One is forced to ask, what legacy(s) does our political and ruling elite intends to live behind even after they had gone, is it that of amassment of stupendous wealth, chain of business entities or records of selfless service to their father land as was seen to be predicated by our founding fathers?

Every leader that come weather through the stage-managed balloting or gun as is/was the tradition in Nigeria in the past and today, pretends to correct the anomalies of the past; be it political or economy, Yar’Adua’s government is no exception. But, how can he be said to be sincere when we watched frustratingly, how certain elements in the system presumed to untouchable are abusing and manipulating every good intentions, aspects and processes of checks and balances yet, he remained adamant and inactive? What had transpired and are still happening with election litigations in some of the tribunals and conventional courts, calls for worry and concern, but, he remained unperturbed and remorseless, in certain quotas, if not all, his political party determines who get what etc.

Indeed, the Benin Appeal tribunal judgment came at a time when the Benin political heavy weights, Monarchs, INEC, PDP and the sacked governor, Prof. (senator) Osunbor least expected it. Therefore, what lesson has or would this draw to our political and business class, traditional and religious leaders that thought they hold the four aces and are the determinant factor to whoever gets what in this country of ours as well as the followers and the citizenry? Well, for the first group of people, that think they are the Dons that decides the Nigerian affairs; be it the polity, economy and of all, the leadership, should begin to have a re-think that popular majority will, if sincerely and doggedly followed, always triumph above all other segmental interest as is seen predicated in Edo State and United States of America today.

The second and last group, of course the followers and the citizenry needs to know that, vigilance, resilience and perseverance, if fearlessly and persistently followed, can affirm our mandate and give us the leadership of our choice that would hopefully take our country to the next level. We can as well, subject him into scrutiny and change in the event, he fails or found wanting in the discharge of his civic responsibilities. Therefore, if the remaining pending election cases in our courts are vehemently and vigilantly pursued as that of Oshiomhole and AC in Edo State, there can never be stopping the repeats of Edo scenario.

Nigerians needs to again and again know that our destiny lies heavily in our hands, there can never emerge anyone from anywhere to come and change the cause of our history rather then ourselves. So, any redress remedy(s) championed by any unpopular leader, is deceptive and diversionary, only doing so in the interest of his personal gains and benefits. Today is one and a half year into the administration of Umar Musa Yar’Adua, what became the position of the rule of law that was his government official language? More than a year into the activities of the election petition tribunals, what became the inaugural speech of the President of the Courts of Appeal, Justice Abdullahi Farook Umar that election cases and litigations should be speedily dispensed, unbiased and on conventional ground. But today, what happened, are we not all leaving witnesses to most of the judgments and the favouritism therein?

Today is six months after the one year in office’s speech of Mr. President and the covenant he made forthwith that very soon, Nigerians would start reaping the benefits of his one year planning, but, what became of our standard of leaving and poverty line? So, if we are to go on and on, one discovers that things are still not gloomy, we are still walloping under the abyss of abject poverty and doom as it had been in the previous years.

Unfailingly, the electoral reform that is right on course would not see the light of the day as long as, it’s the same people in government that are going to implement the recommendations. What was the position of INEC in relation to the re-run and bye elections, was it not a repeat of the same gimmick and out-come like that of April 2007 general elections adjudged the worst in the history of our democratic trials? And now again that the constitutional review is about or on its course, Nigerians should not expect anything tangible or meaningful from the out-come, we all know most of the principals in the National Assembly got to their position through the wrong electoral processes. It’s un-debunkable that every Nigerian including the Senate President himself knows how he got to the seat, therefore, who is deceiving who?

However, under these scenarios, what victory for democracy are we talking or celebrating about in this country? Come to think of this, do we even have democratic governance in this country, when select powerful few would sit on a round table in the board room and pencil out who is to be the President, Governors, Local council’s Chairmen, National and states Assemblies members and councilors?

Anambra, Rivers and Edo States victories out of 36 states of the federaton, cannot be enough victory for democracy. Until when we got to a position where PDP would not be able to manipulate the electoral processes and rig itself to power, capturing ninety five percent of the governors seats out of 36, ninety percent of the National Assembly members, almost hundred percent of the states assemblies members, more than eighty percent of the local council’s chairmen and almost hundred percent of the local council’s councilors before we can be talking and celebrating democratic victory in Nigeria.

However, the recent position of INEC following the out come of the verdict of Benin Appeal tribunal is nothing but a smoke screen and shame. Iwu and his electoral body should accept their failure and apologize to Nigerians for putting us into this mess. Anything out of this and their pretence of fishing out the culprits and punishing them accordingly, amount to nothing rather then attestation of defeat and looking for an escape route where it does not exist.