Sunday Onyemaechi Eze
Stakeholders in the just concluded Rivers National and State Assembly re-run elections are failed students of history. We all have learnt nothing and are not willing to develop and improve on our democratic space. Expectedly, the re-run election was a theatre of war and of the absurd too. There were uninhibited access to inducements and incidents of ballot box snatching, free for all thumb printing from both sides of the major political parties, intimidation and total war. It was a do-or die affair which expectedly came with so much trouble, irregularities, complaints, accusations and counter- accusations.
In Abonnema, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, election was postponed to the following day as a result of rampant explosion of dynamite.
The Caretaker Committee Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Olisa Eloka Amadi was molested and dragged out of the collation centre like a common criminal by the military with no one to his rescue. Allegations of polling units moved to hotels and residences of politicians were rife. Armed thugs working for politicians had a field day in overwhelming defiance of over 28,000 policemen and security operatives, 20 police dogs, 28 gun boats; 18 extra Armoured Personnel Carriers and a total of 350 patrol vehicles manned by riot policemen and the Rapid Response Team with a medical team in the event of emergency. Various checkpoints were mounted to mitigate the movement of arms and fake officers during the election. One Police Commissioner was assigned to each of the three Senatorial Zones in the state, while the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations Joshak Habila took charge of the whole operations in the state. Yet INEC will conclude two outstanding state and Federal Assembly rerun elections in Etche next year. A lot of heinous electoral crimes took place including the ruthlessly murder of DSP Mohammed Alkali while six others were said to be missing in spite of the heavy security presence and mobilisation of officers, men and materials. The elections lacked the basic ingredients of a democratic exercise and thus fell below the expected standard of free and fair contest anywhere in the world.
Reported utterances of the national and state leaderships of political parties were reflective and indicative of the brigandage that took place. It was reported that the chairman of APC John Odigie Oyegun at the grand finale of the party’s campaign hosted at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium said, “As you can see, we came in full force; the whole federal might is here and the message is simple, enough is enough, enough is enough. This is the beginning of the rescue mission in Rivers State. We now have a blood-thirsty regime in Rivers State. I am glad with what I am hearing: if they push you, push them. If they snatch a result sheet, snatch it back.”
With this, INEC was not expected to perform any magic. The commission was practically overwhelmed by the disposition of major contending political forces.
It was apparently hapless and helpless. In a terse statement issued by INEC on the situation in Rivers, it conceded the fact that there were serious electoral infractions. “… the elections were generally peaceful and the turn-out was impressive except for Asari-Toru, Gokana, Khana, Andoni and Tai LGA. There were alleged reports of dynamite explosions in Akuku-Toru; INEC officials were attacked in Khana; electoral materials were snatched in Andoni; and our staff were prevented from conducting the elections in Tai state constituency. In a few other areas where hoodlums threatened the conduct of the exercise, the security agencies intervened and ensured that the elections were conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.”
Journalists were deprived of exercising their constitutional of exercising their responsibilities as they were intimidated, harassed and chased out of some collation centres by the security agencies putting a dent on the transparency of the entire process. At Abonnema, security operatives ordered reporters out of the collation center.
There must be a sinister motive and or hidden agenda for sending the media packing at points of collation. It raises suspicion when results are shrouded in secrecy. The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) led by one DSP Akin Fakorede was said to have allegedly molested the Emohua L.G.A Collation Officer, Prof. Chukwudi Odekpa; inflicting injuries on him for refusing to do his bidding, yet in the pool of his blood Odekpa persevered in his responsibilities as seen in various social media. The police should take note of the sundry allegations against Fakorede, others and apply appropriate sanctions.
It would be recalled that the governor of Rivers state Nyesom Wike raised security concerns before the elections without the authorities concerned acting to nip the troubles in the bud. The governor in an interview described the exercise as unfortunate maintaining that PDP will not accept a fraudulent election. Electoral offences persist in Nigeria because those who perpetuated them always go scot-free. Some are even occupying exalted public offices in the three arms of government. Stakeholders in elections must submit to peace and ensure conviviality for elections to thrive.
The security agencies and INEC must also be seen to be transparent, impartial and neutral in all circumstances to guarantee confidence building in the electoral processes. There must be a winner and loser in every contest, therefore, candidates should willingly accept defeat in humility. Political party leadership should be civil and also guard their utterances which provides basis for party supporters’ behaviour before, during and after elections. The army of unemployed youths financially induced to deface the electoral process should resist the temptation of being the clogs in the wheel of our electoral processes. Appropriate sanctions should be meted to any officials of all the stakeholders in the electoral process found to have aided and abetted electoral offences to serve as a deterrent to others.
Sunday Onyemaechi Eze, a Media and Communications Specialist is the publisher of thenewinsightng.blogspot.com. He wrote from Kaduna via [email protected] and can be reached on 08060901201