Finally, the year every Nigerian is waiting for is here. 2019 begins tomorrow. Ordinarily, for Nigerians as is the practice in football circle, the market will be open for the signing of new players or the extension of the contract of others. For those whose contributions have been significant and rewarding; it will be contract extension and for those who have performed below expectation, they will be deemed surplus to requirement and advised to seek alternative teams elsewhere.
In politics, however, it is not that simple. In politics, at least in Nigeria, even when it is seen that a player has performed below par, there is no guarantee that such a player will not get a contract extension; by hook or by crook.
Nigeria is at threshold of making history, the opportunity beckons on us to make the rest of the world to begin to take us seriously. This is an ample opportunity to tell the world that democracy has finally taken root in the country. It is also an opportunity for us to signpost this nation before the comity of nations as a leading light in democratic governance. We need to tell the world that contrary to the position of many naysayers and those who insist that our country is a ‘shithole’ that, we have since taken a turn for the better; that we are a collection of civilised people and, indeed, not just the giant of Africa in size but as well as in substance.
This is the year Nigerians will go to the polls. We are going to decide the fate of those who have served us; those who have served themselves as well as those aspiring for political offices as outsiders. Some express apathy believing that our votes do not count and therefore are not encouraged to want to perform their civic responsibilities. Such persons, I have always asked them if it is by staying away that we can begin to get it right. We need to keep keeping at it until we attain our collective desire as a nation. We must begin from somewhere and gradually begin to perfect it. Staying away simply means we have not started at all. After all, the Chinese say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step.
As to whether or not the vote will count; that will be to a large extent the responsibility of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), the political gladiators as well as we the electorate to determine.
Listening to Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of INEC speak recently, one cannot but sympathise with him and his team for the herculean task ahead of them. For Yakubu, every election has remained a litmus test such that he wondered recently, jokingly though, when he will finally pass this test.
Given the magnitude of the contest ahead, it is safe to say that whatever INEC has been doing since Yakubu succeeded Attahiru Jega, will count for nothing given the task ahead of them in 2019. Apart from the presidential poll, there will be more governorship and legislative polls to conduct simultaneously across the country. If you understand the fact that the average Nigerian politician is a bad loser; you then will realise that indeed we have a huge task in our hands.
Perhaps, the greatest threat to the 2019 polls is that we do not know how neutral the security agencies are in this. It is becoming increasingly difficult separating these officers from card-carrying members of the ruling party. Is it a mere coincidence that the police and operatives of the EFCC have continued to clampdown on members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)? Not long ago, Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President, alleged of plots to assassinate him.
While Nigerians were still wondering if he was only crying wolf where there was none, the police invaded his home and later, some so-called burglars invaded his home went as far as his bedroom, harassed and engaged his family in a scuffle. While this was going on his over four security details, including police and others, were nowhere to be found. Until the defection of Bukola Saraki, the senate president to the PDP, Ekweremadu was the most senior ranking officer of the PDP in government. When you realise that Ekweremadu’s emergence as deputy senate president as well as Saraki as senate president never got the nod of the ruling party, it leaves one with no doubt as to the reason behind their predicament.
Last Friday, armed policemen invaded the Abuja house of Senator Dino Melaye, member representing Kogi West Senatorial District with the view to arresting him. The house was barricaded by armed policemen with six Police Rapid Response Squad vehicles stationed in front of the building.
When journalists arrived with cameras to film the operation, the leader of the team, who was on mufti, asked them to leave saying that they didn’t want the operation recorded. When prodded on the reason for the invasion, the officer simply said that they were there to arrest Melaye.
It was also gathered that two security guards were said to have been beaten, arrested and handcuffed by the police when they demanded to know the identity of the officers who appeared on mufti. The police were said to have forcefully gained entry into the building and chased out all domestic staff of the senator.
Melaye had last week alleged that there were plans to eliminate him. The police in turn denied this and before the dust raised by that alarm could settle down, the police raided his home and took hold of his household.
Former governor, Ayodele Fayose, has been having a raw deal with operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In Fayose’s case, like the other examples cited above, EFCC had already made known its plan before Fayose’s reign as governor ended. If Fayose had decamped to the ruling party, will he be in court now?
The government’s increasing intolerance of opposition is manifestly creating tension in the land. It is obvious most of those who have been having rough time in the hands of security operatives are those who have been more vocal in their condemnation of the ruling party. This is diametrically opposed to the very tenets of democracy.
These are worrying developments that may be unnecessarily raising the tension and creating avoidable anxiety as we approach the elections. The resultant effect is that when the elections eventually come there would be too much agitation which would eventually lead to avoidable deaths in the name of elections.
In some other climes, people look forward to elections with excitement but in Nigeria it is with a feeling of trepidation; we create unnecessary tension so much so that before, during and after elections we will be left with avalanche woes.
If as they say, it is the morning that tells what the night has in store, perhaps it is easy to predict that many would be maimed and lives would be lost. For those who would be unfortunate to be caught in the crossfire all in the name of electioneering, who foolishly choose to die in the process would have themselves to blame. If only the dead can still see, they would realise that even before their burials are concluded, the politician for whom they died would have decamped to the party they died fighting against.
For sure, no immediate family members of the gladiators would die; neither would anyone of them be near the theatre of war. They will be living in much secured environments within and outside the country.
Happy New Year and let’s be wise!
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