As Nigeria turns, I continue to laugh at those people who are turning with it for all the type of things they continue to do. The Nigerian society is continuously turning round and round. And as it does this, it turns around with the inhabitants of the society…people, animals, buildings, plants, trees, waters and seas and other creatures in the Nigerian society.
According to the former president of this country, Chief Olusegun, “na laugh I dey laugh” In fact, na laugh, I too, dey laugh because of the most unusual things which continue to happen in this country.
The most laughable thing is how people are celebrating the victory of a particular party or parties depending on who are the victors and vanquished.
But when you come to look at it, there is one particular question that stares out waiting for a sincere and honest answer. And that is the just passing national elections ranging from the Presidential members of the National Assembly, State governors and members of the State House of Assembly. And that bugging question is this was the last elections in truth and in fact free? “one man one vote.” Or was it free for all thumb printing of voters’ papers in various houses, huts, sheds, bushes, etc?
Those who proceeded in outsmarting others to get desired results have been jubilating and celebrating while on the other hand, those who were outsmarted have been lamenting their losses. But the truth is that the last election whatever may be your own interest was not that of one man one vote.
Those who may doubt this and have assess to facebook facilities should open up to be shocked at what was posted there showing where some malam in Zamfara State were busy in a thick forest with INEC aprons, busy thumb printing ballot papers on behalf of different parties. After thumb printing hundreds of ballot papers, giving APC thousands of votes, they thumb printed 237 for PDP. But the most interesting and laughable, they liberally thumb printed on behalf of APGA 5 votes and they laughed. After thumb printing, two of the men carried the INEC box, mounted on a bike and drove off. Indeed, it is “free, fair and credible” election indeed. No, not one man one vote, it is one man thumb printing thousands of ballot papers to the pleasure of these culprits. Yet, the bam boozed International observers went ahead to announce to the world that Nigerian elections could be adjudged “free, fair and credible.”
It was not Zamfara case that was the only one spectacular case one could see and read in the facebook, twitter, etc. There are so many reported incidents of alarming proportions affecting different political parties and their sponsors.
In all honesty, we have never conducted free, fair and credible elections. Not at all. If one has to be honest and fair to one society, one could minimally apportion just 20 percent free, fair and credible to the general elections from the Presidency, National Assembly, Governorship and State Assembly seats. It was a mad house of cheats, frauds, abnormalities, and irregularities at all levels. Many Nigerians knew this and the president who hurriedly conceded victory knows it more than any other person. He, too, like Obasanjo dey laugh.
But there is one thing which those who secured victories through fraud must understand, anything obtained by fraud must not bring timely and lasting happiness and comfort to the assumed victors. Soon, they would individually and collectively in the course of their assignment begin to enjoy both fruits of their dishonesty, cheats, and victory by irregular and criminal means. Today, they may be rejoicing and celebrating, sooner or later, Nemesis would catch up with them because, satan, whom they used to cheat and opt in undeserved victories would soon visit them for account. Because successes achieved through dishonest means would never bring lasting comfort or happiness.
The ultimate looser is the Nigerian society whose myriad of problems, unemployment, poverty, sicknesses, diseases, hardship, lack of regular electricity supply, bad roads, lack of food items to buy at affordable prices, etc would continue. Although Goodluck Jonathan will soon go but these myriads of national difficulties and challenges would remain behind as Nigeria society turns.
In the end all the efforts, resources expended and some loss of lives of innocent Nigerians would have come to nothing because what we have just done was a rehearsal of the old way of doing things but in a different way, thinking that we have cheated others to victory. No, we have simply cheated ourselves, our children and those yet unborn.
For how long could Nigeria continue to deceive ourselves? After all, the earlier we understand that we cannot run faster than our heels, the better. But can we?
