As Nigeria's 'elections' keep crumbling

With the Court of Appeal's affirmation of the judgment of the election tribunal in Kogi State, we are in for interesting times ahead. The Speaker of the state House of Assembly (Clarence Olafemi) has been sworn in as Acting Governor until fresh election is conducted. But the acting governor is facing the same fate with the now removed 'governor' Ibrahim Idris. So many more acting governors may be lining up in Kogi State.

There is also a possibility of a similar situation occurring at the federal level. Should the election tribunal nullify the April 2007 presidential elections and the judgment is affirmed by the Supreme Court, the Senate President would be sworn in as acting president.

It is a notorious fact that Senate President David Mark is defending his election in the tribunal as he was dragged there by his opponent (popularly called 'Young Alhaji'). In fact, election into two out of the three senate seats in Benue State have already been nullified and fresh elections ordered by the tribunal while ruling in the third one (occupied by Mark) is expected any moment soon.

How did we get into this pass? We had an emperor for a president (OBJ), whose creed was self, one who drove the country dangerously with his select technical team that included sycophants and bootlickers and an unscrupulous leadership of the electoral commission. They were all bent on doing things against every known form of decency and rule of law. He and his cronies then contrived every evil to stop the will of the people from prevailing over their personal interests.

Matters were not helped either by the fact that he had captured his party by sacking the chairman and secretary and personally appointing his cronies to act. Those cronies were later 'elected by affirmation' (euphemism for voice vote) at the party convention and thus did his bidding.

I have no personal interest in who becomes elected the governor of Kogi State (that is the business of Kogi voters) but I have interest in rule of law as opposed to arbitrariness, the later of which OBJ, INEC and the Attorney-General then were good at and unfortunately manipulated EFCC to achieve.

Today, the suppressed whispers of protest of the past are starring us in the face as whirlwinds with 'elections' upon 'elections' crumbling across the country, having been built on the foundation of dishonesty!

Just thought it important to remind ourselves of our most recent history and pray that we do not ever pass through this again.