Violence as a means to an end seems to have become the norm in the process of electing political office holders in Rivers state. The recent gruesome killings in the state before, during and after the rerun legislative election on March 19, 2016 have left no one in doubt about the fact that aspiring to elective offices in that volatile state is a matter of do-or-die. Like the previous elections that ushered in the incumbent governor, Nyesom Wike, the federal and state legislators in 2015 which were marred by killings, the latest shedding of innocent blood across the state is a sad commentary on the nation’s political evolution.
There are conflicting accounts regarding the number of casualties recorded during the orgy of violence. But no fewer than 12 lives were wasted by gun-wielding political goons. One of the victims whose tragic death caught national attention was a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving in the state, Mr. Samuel Okonta. Recruited as an ad hoc staff by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the deceased was said to have successfully completed his assignment on the fateful day but ran into some thugs who shot him dead in company of two of his friends.
Prior to the rerun, the Rivers’ political space had been charged with hate speeches spewed from the camps of the two gladiators reminiscent of what the nation witnessed during the last presidential polls. Governor Nyesom Wike and his estranged political benefactor and Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, had been at daggers drawn over the control of Rivers’ soul. The two arch foes used the campaign period to settle personal scores, thus preparing the stage for the kind of barbarism that characterised the exercise in the state. Of course, the outcome of the exercise could not have been anything but disastrous.
It was, therefore, not unexpected that the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, cited violence as a reason for declaring the process inconclusive following cancellation in some parts of the state like Eleme, Bonny, Andoni, Asari-Toru, Etche, Tai, Khana and Gokana local government areas. In virtually all the 23 local government areas, there were reported cases of gruesome killings and wanton destruction of properties.
Mr. Ikoiwak also declared in a statement issued the day after the exercise, March 20, 2016, that the grave security situation that enveloped the state caused the disruption of the process, including the barricading of some of the INEC Local Government offices and Registration Area Centres (RACs) used for the distribution of electoral materials which led to the late commencement of the exercise in some places.
Also, a statement signed by Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, director, Voter Education and Publicity of INEC, said: “Of more serious concern was the level of threats, violence and intimidation of election officials and voters by well armed thugs and miscreants allegedly acting on behalf of some politicians, which marred the elections in some areas. There were reports of numerous attacks resulting in fatalities, kidnappings, ballot snatching, and diversion of electoral materials, amongst other criminalities, which necessitated its suspension in eight Local Government Areas”.
However, the anomy that played out before, during and after the rerun did not come to keen observers of Rivers’ politics as a surprise. The election that brought the incumbent Governor, Nyesom Wike, to power was widely regarded as flawed. It was also bedevilled by massive killings and destruction of properties. Many believed that the outcome would not stand the test of time. Expectedly, the outcome of the exercise was overturned at the election tribunal and at the Appeal Court which ordered a rerun of the polls. But the Supreme Court affirmed the election.
The decision of the apex court elicited different reactions. The general consensus in most quarters was that the Supreme Court’s verdict had succeeded in legitimising violence as a means of achieving electoral victory. The March 19 exercise could not have been any different. This culture of madness and barbarism has been the hallmark of our electoral process since Nigeria attained nationhood. It has also grown in sophistication. But this should not be allowed to become a permanent feature in our electoral process.
We agree with the INEC’s decision not to return to the exercise until total security is guaranteed. Those who believe in do-or-die elections should have their ambitions kept in the cooler until they imbibe the culture of decent politicking, as well as free and fair exercise. To achieve a situation where votes count, political violence must be arrested; otherwise, many eligible voters will not leave the comfort of their homes on election days. We also urge the security agencies to fish out all those who perpetrated the violence in the rerun and bring them to justice.
