It is the tragedy and irony of a nation with enormous potential, yet a ruling and political class that has made lies, deceit, corruption, nepotism, and transactional politics national characteristics
One of the hallmarks of Nigerian politicians is their ability to speak against abhorrent practices that they indulge in. They publicly oppose unconscionable actions and deeds that undermine the nation’s peace, stability, and progress, but privately fuel and sponsor them. It is the tragedy and irony of a nation with enormous potential, yet a ruling and political class that has made lies, deceit, corruption, nepotism, and transactional politics its national characteristics.
On Wednesday, Edo North Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, while speaking on the floor of the Senate, warned against arming unemployed youths to use them to rig elections. He noted these energetic and restless youths that are given AK-47s to disrupt and rig elections often become a nuisance and menace to the society when elections are over as they get to retain the guns which they then use to commit crimes and terrorise the people, increasing crime rate and violence in the process which in turn worsens the already the deepening security crisis the country is grappling with.
The governor of Edo State also reiterated the need to strengthen the nation’s democracy through periodic free and fair elections that restore confidence of the people in the electoral process. He added that one of the beauties of democracy is for anyone holding elective public office to know that he was truly elected by the people and got their mandate without manipulation, intimidation or coercion. “If you achieve it by the game of body, by two rigging or other manipulation, deep in your heart, you know that you are not a happy person,” the Senator said.
The former Labour leader then charged his colleagues to make it a point of duty to eschew and oppose any form of violence in their bid to win elections, stressing that if they, as Senators, do not directly or indirectly arm jobless youth to undermine electoral process, hence subverting the will of the people, the problem election rigging and its concomitant effects will be 90% solved.
While the admonition and credible elections advocacy of Oshiomhole is sensible, compelling and valid and should resonate with every patriotic and thoughtful Nigerians as the country continues to grapple with loss of confidence in the electoral process in recent years, leading to unprecedented voter apathy in recent elections, we must not forget the quality of character of the messenger and how his own actions somewhat negate his counsel and questionable newfound love for free, fair and credible elections.
In Nigeria, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a politician to reject his victory at the polls because the election is marred by irregularities and manipulations. For many politicians in the country, elections are a war, and all the armoury in their arsenal is deployed to win this war. The process through which they emerge does not matter to them, what matters is that their inordinate ambition and intemperate quest for power is achieved.
While Oshiomhole can pontificate and wax lyrical about the danger of resorting to violence to win elections and why such a destructive practice should be totally shunned, he should know that Nigerians are not deceived by his posturing and pandering. As recently as last year, he was involved in one of the most controversial gubernatorial elections in the nation’s history. Nigerians were witnesses to how last year’s Edo gubernatorial election was marred by widespread irregularities, manipulations and state-sponsored violence. The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the governorship poll, Monday Okpebholo, who many see as the lackey of Oshiomhole, would later be declared the winner of the election despite widespread condemnation of its conduct.
After he was declared the winner of the election, Okpebholo was seen in a viral video genuflecting obsequiously before Oshiomhole and thanking him for his victory. He attributed his victory to the former governor. The court would later affirm his victory despite glaring evidence of widespread irregularities in the conduct of the election that brought him to power. Oshiomhole is not some kind of exemplary and upright politician who has always abhorred the very unconscionable electoral practices he now rails about.
If anything, he has overtly or covertly used it to advance his interests and achieve his political goals. Having deployed these totally unacceptable and heinous tactics to undermine the electoral process and get his stooges into power, to now start portraying himself as a genuine, altruistic and scrupulous proponent of credible and transparent elections is not only hypocritical but an insult to the sensibilities of Nigerians who know him.
If Oshiomhole is indeed and truly interested in having elections that reflect the will of the people, he knows exactly what to do and how to go about it. He would use his position as ranking senator to push for comprehensive and far-reaching foolproof electoral reforms, which, among other things, would stipulate severe and heavy punishment for politicians who arm thugs and miscreants to disrupt the electoral process and undermine our relatively nascent democracy.
But it is easy to see through the shenanigans of the senator. He is not genuinely interested in the changes he clamours for as they are going to undercut his power and political influence and that of his colleagues. His advocacy is nothing but mere performance. A public spectacle designed to plant himself in national discourse and public consciousness without any real conscious and deliberate efforts to drive the change he seeks. Many Nigerians can see through such antics.