On December 1, 2016, Gambian eligible voters went to the polls to elect
their leader thus ending the long reign of their longtime ruler Yahya
Jammeh who initially conceded defeat. Barely a week after, Jammeh in a
nationwide broadcast announced the annulment of the election citing fraud
and irregularities which gave rise to tension not only in The Gambia but
in the subregion.
However, the poll winner a former security guard and estate agent, Adama
Barrow, was eventually sworn in two days ago in neighboring Senegal after
pressure from ECOWAS leaders failed to make Jammeh step down. Although he
is reportedly still in the State House amid pressure to hand over to the
duly elected president, Adama Barrow the world knows his days are numbered
with West African intervention force on standby to dislodge him from the
Villa. And happily enough he has just heeded the voice of reason by
finally stepping down which is none other than a triumph of the peoples’
will.
In a similar vein, Nigerians went to the polls about two years ago amid
subtle threats against the former president. Prior to the highly
controversial federal elections that saw the emergence of Nigeria’s
current President Muhammadu Buhari uncertainty hung in the air the country
was divided along ethnic and religious lines especially in the north which
wanted a return of power to the region at all cost. Jonathan’s name became
ear-biting among Muslims who had been brainwashed in Mosques that casting
vote for him renders them as infidels. Hence the gullible ones amongst
them were taken in and voted to effect a change. Thus the desired change
was effected heralding the dawn of a new era in Nigeria.
While the governing party, the All Progressives Congress remained in
opposition prior to the elections, Nigerians were told that their lives
could be much better under an APC-controlled Federal Government with the
then presidential aspirant, Muhammadu Buhari, promising to introduce
lasting social and economic reforms. ‘Lives could be much better?’
Pop-eyed, Nigerians asked, which means they would have uninterrupted power
supply, the Naira would be made equal in value to the dollar, petrol would
sell for less than N87 per litre, a tin of peak milk would sell for less
than N40, a bag of rice would sell for less than N8,000, etc. Armed with
these weapons, the gullible minds were conquered and they reportedly
effected a change.
Buhari did say he would make the Naira, Nigeria’s domestic currency equal
in value to the US dollar when it exchanged for N150. The price of petrol,
he said would cost much less. His former Petroleum Minister, Prof Tam
David West told the nation that with Buhari, his former boss at the helm
price of petrol will be reduced to N40 per litre. The former Lagos State
Governor Babatunde Fashola did also say Nigeria under an APC-led Federal
Government would fix the nation’s erratic power problems within three
months.
Under an enhanced green revolution, Nigerians were promised there would be
food aplenty that would make life superabundant amid bogus promises to
create millions of jobs. Thus, the then Federal Government under the
former ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) was seen as none other than
a plague that needed to be rid of but fortunately or unfortunately
Nigerians threw away the baby and the bath water by voting out the party
that saw the emergence of an APC-controlled Federal Government with the
principal architects seen as tin gods that have indeed come to liberate
the people from the bondage of PDP sixteen years’ ‘misrule’.
Almost two years into the APC-led administration, the change Nigerians
reportedly voted for is still miles away if not totally non-existent as
everything has crumbled marvelously.
The major reasons being cited for this crying ineptitude and incompetence
are looting of the treasury under the immediate past administration, crash
in global oil price and militancy in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
Let us examine these in turn. While the looting of the treasury lasted
under the former party, Nigerians were still able to feed and there was no
indication or visible signs that a tin of peak milk would rise to N200
from N40 at the time. Again, while the looting lasted, there was no
visible sign that a litre of petrol would rise astronomically to N147 from
N87 per litre. Again and again, while the looting lasted there was no
visible sign that the Naira would exchange for N500 as against N150 in
less than 2 years. I, for one, would prefer a Nigerian government
characterized by looting that would maintain the former status quo all
things considered.
Is there any government in Nigeria where there had not be massive looting?
Could Nigerians cast their mind back to the legal battle between Vera
Ifudu of the Nigerian Television Authority in 1984 and Major General
Buhari as a military ruler? What about the melodrama at the airport of
Lagos between Buhari and his late second-in-command while Atiku Abubakar
headed the Nigerian Customs? Those who were not born then would be better
advised to do an in-depth research about what happened between Buhari and
that young woman at the period under sad review following the news she
reported on NTA where Buhari was one of the dramatis personae. On this
score, no government at any time in Nigeria has not been involved in
looting the treasury if we need reminding. The embarrassing disappearance
of money running into billions when Buhari held sway as PTF chairman and
the sudden disappearance of huge sums of money that was later traced to a
Midland bank account in London are sad cases in point which are all
chronicled in the ‘Many Crimes of Buhari” authored by Nigeria’s Nobel
Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka.
Another reason often cited by this administration is the crash in global
oil price. Official figures show that Nigeria produces about 2 million
barrels per day which were disrupted by militancy in the Niger Delta. That
is to say, the problem here is two-fold. Firstly, contending with cuts in
production output and secondly reduction of the oil price. The former
Central bank Governor, Prof Charles Soludo in a piece published by the
Nigerian Tribune said oil sold for less than $30 dollars when he took
charge as the boss of the Nigeria’s apex bank – the Central Bank of
Nigeria and as of the time he left, Nigeria with the proceeds from oil was
able to save up to over $60 billion in her foreign reserves although
militancy was unknown at the time. But today a barrel of crude oil sells
for over $45 with an average production output of over one million two
hundred barrels per day in spite of the militancy in the region. Hence,
what’s the problem, if one may ask?
As Nigeria now heads towards another elections’ year, 2019 to be precise,
with frustration staring ominously in faces as a result of failed
political and economic policies occasioned by gross ineptitude and
incompetence of the ruling party, there is no denying the fact Nigerians
are fed up with the governing APC overlords that seem to have capitalized
on their ignorance, conquered and kept them under what could be best
described as permanent subjugation.
Nigerians, I have no doubt, would vote for another change but the question
is would their wishes ever count again? Will Nigerians ever be allowed to
take control of political future? I have my reservations in this regard
because of what I have seen happen in subsequent elections under the
APC-led Federal Government.
Certainly, hunger neither sympathizes with religion nor ethnicity and you
know as well as I know Nigerians have reached and made a swift volte-face
and all yearn under the existing circumstances for a return to when petrol
sold for N87 per litre. Nigerians all yearn for the golden era when a tin
of peak milk sold for N40, Nigerians all yearn for a return of when a bag
of rice sold for N8000, Nigerians and foreign investors alike all yearn
for when there was stability of the naira when it exchanged for N150 to
the US dollar. This year, reports say, Nigeria will officially devalue the
Nigeria which means the Naira could be exchanging for N1000 for $1 in no
time!
The crux of the matter is, can Nigerians ever be allowed to decided their
political future via the ballot box in future elections using the current
hardship and frustration as indices of Buhari’s success or failure?
Elections have been held recently and which calls the role of INEC in
serious question. No sane-minded person, if we all need reminding, would
want to remain glued to an unworkable political system as obtains in
Nigeria today. Suicide which was previously unknown in Nigeria has taken
the center stage with many people dying on their own feet as a result of
hardship and attendant frustration. Many young women have become women of
easy virtue in order to keep body and soul together with many braving the
harsh odds of the fiery Sahara desert to the coast of Africa where they
embark on dangerous sea journeys to Europe and many have perished in this
adventure.
Now the question is will the Independent National Electoral Commission
allow the peoples’ will to count with 2019 around the corner? Would there
ever be a free and fair election with Buhari’s relative as the boss of
Nigeria’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC)? Frankly, I have my reservations here considering what happened in
Edo State, Ondo state gubernatorial elections and Rivers’ legislative
rerun elections.
No sane-minded person would like to remain with a system whose trademarks
are frustration, hunger, suicide, insecurity of lives and property and
utter hopelessness being witnessed under the present APC-led
administration. APC, we were told, swept the polls in both Ondo and Edo
States – this had better been told to the marines considering what
happened prior to the elections in these states geared towards completely
eliminating the opposition and their members who are considered enemies of
the state – a typical example is former Governor Oshomhole whose deeds
and actions are not only beastly but marvelously evocative of a
misbegotten Homo Sapiens from an extinct barbarian tribe.
There is no denying the fact that he is politically naive, uninformed,
crude and uncivilized by being very intolerant of the opposition. A
vibrant opposition is one of the essential ingredients needed for any
democratic setting to thrive which he seems to have lost sight of.
With Buhari’s relative as INEC boss, the wishes of the people in the
above-named states where elections were held like an unworkable marriage
were annulled and eventually bastardized which is tantamount to a coup
d’etat.
There is no denying the fact that this is what will happen again in 2019
because no one in his right frame of mind will like to remain aboard a
vessel which is navigating perilously through stormy waters by voting for
Buhari or APC either by any act of omission or commission, frankly, I do
not think so. Hunger and frustration know not partisanship, ethnicity, and
religion, armed with these weapons, Nigerians will not want to return
these cast of neophyte actors to power come 2019 except the ugly scenario
in Edo, Ondo and Rivers elections is rehearsed and craftily re-enacted by
INEC and with connivance of the security agents which is tantamount to a
coup d’etat.
Whereby it is glaring that the wishes of the people have again been toyed
with by INEC Nigerians may be heading for an open revolt and what is
happening in The Gambia today could be replicated in Nigeria to enforce
the peoples’ will by an intervention force in the subregion. This is why I
see what is happening today in that tiny West African nation as a welcome
development because the Nigerian military and other security agencies
dominated by northern elements have been politicized and the only language
they understand are Buhari’s partisanship and ethnic bigotry which is only
typical of totalitarian regimes.
*Iyoha John Darlington, a social activist, political analyst and public
commentator on national and global issues wrote from Turin, Italy.