Today, 25th February, 2024, marks exactly one year since the most recent and now most controversial Presidential Election in Nigeria. With the benefits of hindsight, and given the dire situation the country is facing in all facets of her existence, it behooves every right-thinking Nigerian to put on a sackcloth and weep for Nigeria.
We mourn because it was on this day that the maxim “GRAB IT, SNATCH IT AND RUN AWAY WITH IT” was operationalised and legitimized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headed by Professor Mahmoud Yakubu. That phrase now occupies a hallowed space in our political lexicon.
We mourn on this day because the great expectations, hopes and aspirations of our youth, who constituted over 60% of the registered voters for the election and trouped to various polling stations across the federation to cast their votes, based on assurances given by INEC that they were going to conduct the freest, fairest, and most the transparent election in the history of Nigeria, were shattered, dashed and murdered. Consequently, disillusionment, frustration and renewed hardship have become their daily companions.
We mourn because under the watch of the arrogant, Janus faced, INEC Chairman and the loquacious INEC Commissioner for Publicity and Voter Education, Barr. Festus Okoye, INEC ceased to be an umpire in the election, and became an unregistered political party in an alliance with the ruling party the APC.
Homer, the 8th century BC Greek poet, probably had the likes of Mahmoud Yakubu in mind when he penned the following words in one of his epic works, Iliad: “as hateful to me as the gates of hell is the man who hides one thing in his heart and says another.”
We mourn and weep for our country Nigeria because the judiciary, the so-called last hope of the common man and the temple of justice, has completely skidded off the road in the dispensation of justice. The kangaroo judgements that were churned out of their shrine, in the Election Petition Tribunals, served any purpose but justice.
In retrospect, it would appear that even the symbol of judicial impartially, represented by the blindfolded female statue, which is supposed to dispense justice without fear or favor, affection or ill will, removed the cloth she was blindfolded with, to see clearly the highest bidder before proceeding to dispense her favor.
We mourn because while Nigerians were still trying to repress the psychological torture of eight years of affliction wilfully inflicted on them by Mohammadu Buhari (the worst mistake they ever made in their choice of leadership), the one who GRABBED IT, SNATCHED IT AND RAN AWAY WITH their mandate decided to twist the knife already buried in their wound by Buhari. As a result, the wound began to bleed afresh and we are now witnessing renewed pain and hardship unprecedented in the annals of our history.
This scenario is analogous to the response given to the Israelites by Rehoboam on accession to the throne of his father King Solomon, when the people called on him to reduce the burden placed on them by his father. “My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions,” replied Rehoboam. In utter despair, the people declared: “TO YOUR TENTS OH ISRAEL.” This is the situation we have found ourselves in today. We mourn.
We mourn because our patience is taken for granted by those who ran away with a mandate not wilfully given to them by a majority of voters in the presidential election. Our pains have become a distant noise in their horizon as more and more Nigerians wallow in multidimensional poverty. Yet our so-called leaders are busy catching cruise with our common patrimony. For them, there is now nothing to fear as all the instruments of oppression and coercion at in their hands..
But according to Edmund Burke, there is a limit at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue. Nigerians are being pushed to that limit. No man can be patriotic on an empty stomach. The arrogance and impunity of our leaders is not only crying to heaven for vengeance, but as well calling on all of us who are victims of the perfidious governance to say enough is enough.
Dwight Eisenhower, the American military officer, who served as the 34th President of the United States from 1953 – 1961, once stated that “Only if democracy satisfies the mental, moral and physical wants of the masses living under it, can it continue to exist.”
Yes, we mourn because our democracy was assassinated on 25th February, 2023, under the cover of darkness. The loser became the winner and the winner was asked to “go to court.” Please somebody laugh with me.
We mourn because many are asking, “Will this cup pass over us? The answer is yes. A day will come when Nigerians will take back Nigeria from the impostors and pretenders occupying the seat of power. In this connection, I am reminded of the words of the song “Beasts of England” in George Owel’s Animal Farm: “Soon or late, the day is coming, Tyrant Man shall be overthrown and the fruitful fields of England shall be trod by beasts alone.”
Yes, a new Nigeria is possible. When the true bridegroom comes, we shall mourn no more.
Cally Ebue writes from Enugu.
He can be reached on chiebomcebue@yahoo.com
