UNLESS further events compel me to have a re-think and a
review of proceedings, this is the last part of the subject-matter under
focus. And it is my wish to hop-step-and-jump to the
post-election-rigging phase which I adumbrated earlier in the first two
parts. I am skipping, deliberately, the second phase of
election-in-progress-rigging, which is part of the petition of the
General which the tribunal is yet to hear and rule on in favour of or
against either party.
But
before I dwell on the last phase of election-rigging, Nigerian style, I
must compel readers to go back a little time and recall the case and
matter of “Toronto” Salau Buhari, a once-upon-a-time Speaker of
Nigeria’s House of Representatives during the first term of Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency. When Mallam or Alhaji Buhari “Torontoed”
the PDP and Nigeria and became, unlawfully, the Speaker of Parliament
of the central legislators, he did the rightly and honourably wonderful
thing by quitting his endearing post. Today he is in a political limbo,
but I must continue to remember him and President Obasanjo for the
timely display of the needful thing, the needful honour of resignation,
rather than dragging the matter of the allegation to needless legal acts
of gymnastics. President Obasanjo was sympathetic then to the cause and
course of honour, and allowed “Toronto” Buhari to go. Clearly, the
General and President from Owuland proved to Nigerians that he and the
“Toronto” Speaker were not (and still are not) eiusdem farinae (“birds
of a feather”).
One
would expect the political advisers, friends, executive cabinet members
of the Edo State Government and House of Assembly and leaders of the
ACN, locally and nationally, to prevail on the Comrade- Governor to
throw in the towel if truly their gubernatorial candidate did not,
before the last gubernatorial election, possess the requisite and
pertinent academic qualification and certificate allowed for the post of
Governor. It is needless stubbornly to drag the case.
The tax
payers of Edo State who are suffering from the pangs and pains of
excessive and over-burdened taxation should be saved the further burden
of allowing their money to be wasted on needless litigation. Or is the
erstwhile Labour hero and model wasting his own money to prosecute the
case? In any case, my simple advice to the inner circle and
torch-bearers of ACN is to look at the proof (ecce signum) and take
appropriate steps in the interest of righteous justice on behalf of the
good and over-taxed workers and people of Edo State. They should not
allow the petition of alleged certificate forgery against Mr. Adams
Aliyu (or Aliu) Oshiomhole to go the full distance. Or they have
absolute faith and confidence (fide et fiducia), for obvious reasons, on
Nigeria’s judiciary-less judiciary?
Those who of late have seen
the Governor ceaselessly on television have wondered if the amiable
orator ever again rouse to positive action students, hawkers and
Okada-riders, many of whom are genuinely academically certificated? And
I wonder how students and academics in Edo State’s tertiary
institutions are feeling now. The remover and appointer of
Vice-Chancellors is truly in the news! Fiat lux (“Let there be light”)
of righteous justice in Edo State, after all said and done.
Will
Nigeria’s judiciary-less judiciary allow it? We all who were grown up
and sensible enough in 1979 still remember vividly the electoral, or,
better put, the post-electoral math of twelve-two-third that rigged
Chief Obafemi Awolowo, diabolically, out of the Presidency. Some legal
pundits have informed me that, that Supreme Court’s ruling or judgment
is not citable in the annals of Nigeria’s jurisprudence maybe primarily
on account of its indefensible jurisprudential logic. Recently, the late
President Musa Yar’Adua faulted the electoral irregularities that won
him the Presidency. But our judiciary-less judiciary gave consent to
them. What I am trying to say, and in fact saying, is that our
judiciary, the supposed bastion of our righteous justice has, over time,
been turned into an instrument of post-election-rigging in Nigeria. By
the way, why truly is Justice Salami suffering what he is suffering
today? This question shall remain answer-less pro tempore because it is
still sensitively hot in court. And I don’t wish to have any hot bath in
the hot river of contempt which our judiciary-less judiciary may wish
for me. Yet, we must state and re-state it that our judiciary, our
expected Fidei Defensor (“Defender of the Faith”) of justice in the land
has disappointed us time after time on matters of electoral justice.
At
few weeks back, a SAN (Senior Advocate of Nigeria) who, as we say, did
not catch a glimpse of my brake-light in college, I mean secondary
school, informed me with great and lawful glee that he is a conqueror of
money. He, according to him, at the time he broached the subject, had
made above N300m on prosecuting election matters. He said this amount
was even small when placed side by side other lawyers and SANs (I am
withholding their names) who had made more than billions of naira on
election cases. Of course, some of the judges who are aware of what the
lawyers make, millions- and billions–wise, and who deliver their rulings
and judgments cannot be left out of this nice way of millions-or
billions-making.
Many a judge obviously becomes a bosom pal
(fides Achaetes) of an election petitioner or his/her opponent. He or
she who cares, can research or investigate this claim or allegation as
the EFCC is currently doing, I hear. But such a researcher or
investigator must look to the end (finem respice) for such an
irreversible research or investigation, like the current exercise I have
embarked on by doing this series, is risky, very risky. He or she who
cares must watch his or her back. But I say: fiat iustitia ruat caelcum
(“let justice be done though the heavens fall”.). We must say no to
post-election-rigging via our judiciary-less judiciary.
O
Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) of yester-years!
How your party faithful and top echelon(s) sold you away! How they sold
you away to your untoward end! How your victory was post-election rigged
via your own men and people who connived with the gap-toothed master of
dribbles and Nigeria’s judiciary-less judiciary to do you in!
In a
way, Edo State’s PDP (and PDP national as well) are re-enacting the
electoral pattern and joke of 1992 that unleashed today’s tragedies in
our polity. If you disagree with this simple and humble averment, how do
you sincerely, in your true Christian or Muslim or spiritual heart,
explain the “Punic treachery” that is the lot of General Charles
Airhiavbere today? Why the Punic war that his party has carried or is
carrying on with him post-gubernatorial Edo State election? The General
is obviously now bearing a double cross (fides Punica), but all men, all
persons, including media practitioners of truth and decency must stand
for light fide et amore (“by faith and love”). If you cannot, say
nothing and send me no text messages or e-mails of abuse and insult of
no consequence to my conviction that is ever ready to yield to a
superior perspective. You simply must hold your tongue (Favete linguis).
I conjure you.
The essay ends, but grant me the indulgence to
ACKNOWLEDGE two remarkably pertinent text messages: (1) Sir, your
articles on Edo gubernatorial election makes so much sense to the
majority of Edo youths, elders and other well meaning Nigerians. Please I
look forward to the concluding parts. Though I can’t afford papers
daily, I have set aside money to buy Tribune on Mondays henceforth. Omoh
Odihiri”; (2)” My big brother, Tony, your write-up about Edo tribunal
is very right. God will bless you and your family. Amen
+23480332535536.”
My thanks go to numerous others I cannot quote
on this matter. I enjoyed your text messages and phone calls, even from
detractors, who abused and insulted me for obvious reasons. It is not
easy and funny to be a columnist. It is no joke at all - at all, at all,
and at all.
Last
lines: You can’t reach In and Out on phone for sometime. The penner is
outside the shores of the Nigerian Tribune until further notice. But the
penner’s lyre will not cease its notes. Thanks, readers dear for your
understanding.
NigerianTribune
One of the three persons abducted by unknown gunmen within the last nine days in Rivers has died in the kidnappers’ den.
