PDP vs. NIGERIAN PEOPLE
By Chinwuba Phil Esq.
Nigeria has
been short-changed! I say this with all sense of
responsibility taking into cognisance, the way and
manner PDP hijacked the 2007 general elections. Did
I say elections? I remorsefully rescind to that
statement, after all, there was no elections in the
first place but clear cut allocation of votes. It is
heartbreaking as enthusiastic Nigerians who were
eager to effect a change of government watched
helplessly as PDP in connivance with INEC subverted
the transition process. Before the sham called
election, I had posited that the election was
predetermined, and that any result that goes against
the expectation of the PDP stands unacceptable. This
has eventually played out, and explains the
malpractices/fraud/violence that trailed the entire
exercise.
It started with the April 14 general election.
Observations were made, and all cases of rigging and
electoral fraud discussed by panel of discussants on
television studio, and even printed in national
dailies, all in an effort at getting the INEC to
retrace its step, cancel the governorship/State
House of Assembly elections and to prepare a more
transparent and credible Presidential and National
Assembly elections. All the contributions of
Nigerians fell to deaf ears as INEC went ahead to
conduct the most bizarre election on the 21st April
2007. In some states, mostly in the East, voting
started in the evening, owing to late arrival of
election materials/officials. Governor Orji Uzor
Kalu of Abia State witnessed the late commencement
of voting in his ward, where voting started at about
7.00 pm, in the dark. Chief Dim Emeka Odumegwu
Ojukwu, the APGA presidential candidate was
disenfranchised due to same reason of late
commencement/ no conduct of election. A television
station aired an interview granted by an INEC
official who angrily informed them that they were
given 200 ballot papers against 700 registered
voters in the polling station. This is disgraceful,
as more than 500% of registered voters in that
polling station were disenfranchised. In the North,
Alhaji Bafawara, DPP presidential candidates alerted
the public that his party discovered ballot papers
without serial numbers being used by INEC officials.
In Ondo state, a serving deputy governor (PDP) was
arrested with ballot boxes, filled with ballot
papers.
In other instances, photographs of some prominent
candidates at gubernatorial elections were not
inserted in the ballot paper, thereby giving the
impression that the candidates had withdrawn from
the race, in order to give undue advantage to PDP
candidates. For example, in Anambra State, INEC had
insisted that Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, ANPP
governorship candidate was disqualified only for his
name to be on the ballot paper. This was a
deliberate disguise to say that it obeyed court
order to include his name.
All the above anomalies were pointed out by both
local and international observers, who called for
the cancellation of the elections as they all fall
short of internationally acceptable standard of free
and fair election. In the midst of all these
protests, INEC however went ahead to declare PDP
winners in the general elections, even in places
where elections were not conducted. This is
laughable.
I therefore call on Nigerians to resist PDP/INEC
intimidation and to accord the civil/coalition
forces maximum support in the fight to regain the
stolen mandate of the people, perpetrated by PDP.
The National Assembly should remain resolute and
resist entreaties from the presidency to accept the
election results. I urge them to sharpen their
legislative tools to call for the cancellation of
the elections. We, the Nigerian people wish to use
this medium to salute the courage of our
representatives at the Federal House; Your efforts
at defending our democracy when you sided the masses
in defeating Obasanjo’s plans to elongate his tenure
in office has endear you to Nigerians. We are proud
of you, and rely on you in our collective fight to
pull down this monster (presidency and its stooge,
the INEC).
Our gratitude also goes to the Senate President,
Senator Ken Nnamani, for show of uprightness in the
discharge of his duties and for restoring the
integrity/credibility of the upper House. We want
you (Chief Ken Nnamani) to know that Nigerians are
praying for you. Nothing evil will befall you. This
we assure you, whether within or without your
office. You have shown that there are still men of
honour & integrity in this corruption ridden
society.
Obasanjo must be reminded that he has few years on
this earth looking at his age, and must begin the
process of going back to his creator. He must learn
to accommodate, as no individual has the monopoly of
knowledge. He claims to be a saint in an island of
Thieves. Available facts however points to the
opposite direction. He must amend his ways, and that
must start with re-organising fresh elections. For
declaring PDP presidential candidate winner, even
when there were no elections in many places,
Obasanjo has lost his moral sense of judgement. For
accepting an election widely described as most
fraudulent/massively rigged and falling short of
international standard, Obasanjo has proved an enemy
of Nigerian progress. For denying Nigerians, freedom
of choice, and for imposing his candidate on
Nigerians, Nigerians have turned their back on him.
He has shown that he lacks moral rectitude to remain
in power. He does not recognise the rule law, and
court rulings. He undermines the role of the
legislature. An instance is his refusal to approve
the recall of suspended UNILORIN lectures in
accordance with court ruling requesting for their
recall. The National Assembly has turned down
Obasanjo’s request to extend emergency rule in Ekiti;
yet, Obasanjo has not deemed it pertinent to respect
the decision of the National Assembly. We regret to
assert that Obasanjo plays god. Nigeria shall be
great again, when things are rightly done, when the
conduct of election is devoid of malpractices as
perpetuated by Obasanjo, in connivance with INEC.
We urge Nigerians to remain steadfast in this trying
time, and to refuse every attempt at mortgaging
their conscience. We must not be violent in pursuing
our collective interest, in seeing to the
dethronement of oligarchy and the enthronement of
democracy.
Thank you and GOD bless Nigeria
Chinwuba Phil Esq.
London ©
