February 25th Presidential Election And The Future Of Nigeria -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

I have participated and monitored many elections in this country but none is as controversial and as rigged as the just concluded election. The conduct of the February 25, presidential leaves much to be desired. And the effect of this election may be cataclysmic on the nation if the right thing is not done and promptly too. Experience at the polling units and the various reports in the press indicate that the process was marred by gross irregularities that accentuated the calls from many to cancel the election and conduct fresh one. There were many video evidence depicting incidences of harassment and intimidation of voters, disenfranchisement, vote-buying, ballot box snatching, illegal thumb printing, result falsification among others. Worse still are the irregularities at the collation and reporting centers. There were many cases of inconsistency and result duplication indicating that it was about vote allocation rather than statistical presentations of the actual vote casted.

The modus of collating the result shows that the INEC itself violated its operational procedures as specified in the electoral act. INEC cannot change the rule of the game in the middle of the game. It is an aberration. The electoral systems and the processes were flagrantly compromised to make room for electoral malfeasance. What INEC did was a rape on Democracy. Consequently, there have been strident calls from concerned citizens, eminent Nigerians and international observers for the INEC to do the right but these calls were unheeded as INEC went ahead to announce what is perceived by many as a falsified result thereby subverting the will of the electorates. This is unacceptable.

From the elementary lesson in government, we were taught the role and the importance of the electoral system in a democracy. The electoral system the world over is expected to be an independent and unbiased institution that conduct elections and help strengthen the practice of democracy. But Nigeria’s own electoral system has turned out to be destructive tools in the hands of the do-or-die politicians that are willing to fight dirty to impose themselves on the people. The Nigeria electoral system has been hijacked and manipulated by anarchists and unscrupulous politicians for their selfish ends. The implication is that it weakens citizens’ participation in the political process. When the electoral law was passed by the National Assembly and the INEC procured the much talked about Bimodal Voters’ Accreditation Systems (BVAS) technology making dropped their apathy about the system went for the permanent voters’ card (PVC) with the hope that their vote will count. But today that hope is willfully dashed by the Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC.

Nigerians woke up this morning, the first day of March, 2023 to the shock of the announcement of the said winner of the election against the voice of reason. Yes, as one commentator rightly observed, the call by the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu for the aggrieved parties to go to court is like an affront to us because it somewhat shows that the action of the INEC chairman was deliberate. Yes we may go to court as a matter-of-fact but the litigation is not enough in this case knowing how corrupt and compromised our judicial system is. If the so-called winner could buy INEC as it were, he could as well buy the entire judicial process. And it is not out of place that they have anticipated it and planned for it ab initio. 

On this note, I call on all the parties that contested this presidential election to unite and form a common formidable front to fight for justice. And I enjoin all Nigerians to bury their differences and stand behind the opposition to reverse the decision of compromised INEC. Every information, evidence and support should be garnered for this national assignment. It is a bounden duty. It is a civic duty. It is for the good of our country, our future and the future of our dear children. Nigeria cannot survive another eight of pillaging by the All Progressives Congress (APC) regime, taking into consideration the avowal of the so-called winner to continue with the obnoxious policies of the outgoing regime. If this daylight robbery executed by the INEC is not decisively treated, there may be no Nigeria in the near future. Things would definitely get worse. Impunity and mediocrity will be worse as area-boys and thugs will take over Nigeria. Crime and social vices will increase in unimaginable degree. There will be anarchy and chaos as separatists agitations will spring up again and metastasized everywhere. There will be insecurity and uncertainty. And all these will further destroy the ailing economy and create misery and discontent and hopelessness and the result is left to be imagined.

I must state here unequivocally, that the future of this country is dependent so much on correcting the blunders deliberately committed by INEC in the conduct of the February 25^th presidential election.  Therefore, I earnestly urged the opposition not to be intimidated but to spearhead the process for this all-important national assignment by mobilizing the people. I will encourage the masses whose mandate is stolen not to relent but to remain steadfast, support the opposition until the controversial decision by INEC is reversed and the right thing done.

Clearly, the APC regime knew they failed the nation and in addition, presented a candidate with shady background and so the only option they have to hold on to power is to compromise the system and rig and then arrogantly ask us to go to court as usual. But with the mounting of evidence against them, they cannot escape it. We will not only insist on reversing the decision but insist that those involved in this charade of election be punished according to the law to act as deterrent to others in future.

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com An actress, social activist, politician London, UK