It’s time for free and fair election in Nigeria

By Niyi Aborisade, UK

When the former Premier of defunct Western region,late chief Obafemi Awolowo visited the then Military President, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida at Dodan Barrack in 1985 shortly after the latter took over in a coup de’tat from General Muhammad Buhari, the first thing Chief Awolowo told President Babangida was that “Nigeria is ripe for free and fair election.”

Chief Awolowo made this statement against the background of many elections in the past that have been truncated by rigging and violence. He himself, a victim of massive rigging that denied Nigerians his selfless service that could have turned around the political development of the country going by his exploits as Premier of the defunct Western Region. His exploits within this period is still a reference point politically today, between 1st October,1954 till 1st October,1960. This made the former Ikemba of Nnewi, late Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu described Chief Awolowo, as the best President Nigeria never had.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo must have remembered the scenarios of 1953, 1959, 1965, 1979 and 1983 elections. Fredrick Forsyth captured this very well in his book “Biafra Story”, on page 13 as he states that:

“In 1953, a delegation from the Action Group, the leading Yoruba Political Party, was due to visit Kano, the largest city of the North, intense formentation of public opinion against the visit was undertaken by Mallam Inua Wada, Kano Branch Secretary of the Northern People congress. In a speech two days before their schedule arrival, Wada told a meeting of section heads of the Native Administration: ‘having abused us in the South, these very Southerners have come over to the North to abuse is….. We have therefore organised about a thousand men ready in the city to meet force with force’…. The Action Group’ s visit was cancelled, but on 16th May, a series of massacres began, failing to find Yorubas, the Hausas set about the Easterners”.

Now, the election of that time can not be said to be free and fair in that the Southerners were not allowed to have a footing in the North, not to talk of campaign or fielding candidates.

The election of 1979 and 1983 was fraught with massive rigging and eventually gave birth to the legal doctrine of 2/3 (two-third) in 1979. In 1983, one of the reasons given by General Muhammadu Buhari for taking over the government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari was of massive rigging although it was mostly Southerners that were thrown into jail at that time.

The implication of the admonition of the late chief to the ‘Evil Genius’ was that prior to 1985 Nigeria has never held a free and fair election.

Free and fair election means that those entitled to vote have the right to register and vote for candidates of their choice. It also denotes election that is not rigged, where voters are not intimidated, no use of thuggery, no underage votes, no stealing of votes, no vote buying, electoral officers announce the person that wins, no cancellation of elections, no annulment of election, no unreasonable delay in announcing the result of the election and elections are conclusive within the legal frame time. Politicians are able to campaign anywhere in the Federation without fear, all registered political parties have equal rights to contest the election. The list is non- exhaustive.

President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida,popularly called IBB promised Chief Awolowo that he will do that and he did conduct the most freest and fairest election in the history of Nigeria in 1993 which was won by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola (MKO) but not declared winner until 24 years after in a political gimmick when the winner was already with the Celestials where I believe there is no rigging but punishment for the wicked.

IBB denied Nigerians the joy and fruit of Free and Fair Election. The Maradona was at his best, he dribbled all of us and scored an own goal. That is now history!

The recent development of underage voting in Kano State and cancellation of election in Osun State, imposition of candidates by godfathers are pointing out that we may not have free and fair election come 2019 unless drastic measures are put in place.

Some of the measures are:

•  Unbiased Security personnel at the polling booths to ensure smooth voting exercise.
•  Election materials to arrive early at the polling booths including voting registers.
• Immediate announcement of result at polling booths and each party agents to sign and have signed copies of the result.
• The government must ensure the safety of the citizens by creating enabling environment in all the crisis prone or troubled areas.
•  The will of the electorates must be respected.
•  Equal right and opportunity to every citizen for electing their respective representative.
•  Actual Independence of electoral body in the country.
• Non-interference, directly or indirectly in the activities of the Electoral body by the Executive arm of government.

*Niyi Aborisade is the National President a of Non-Governmental Organisation and democracy group, the Nigerian Movement for Positive Change (NMPC).