When Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, visited Abuja a fortnight ago, he assured that the UN and the international community are committed to ensuring that Nigeria’s general elections in 2019 are credible.
My concern here is based on his statements when he visited Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, in Port Harcourt; and Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, in Makurdi.
Chambas disclosed at those meetings that the international community craves peaceful polls in Nigeria. He said critical stakeholders are being engaged to ensure everyone contributes their quota to a credible electoral process in Nigeria, before, during, and after the 2019 vote.
Wike showed him a modern office complex his administration built for UN agencies in Port Harcourt.
“The United Nations and the international community are very interested in the 2019 elections. We want to see how the elections can be peaceful,” Chambers told him.
“We are working closely with the Federal Government, with the states and national institutions which are charged with the conduct of elections to ensure a credible process.
“At the end of the day, we will be able to have credible and peaceful elections, which will enable Nigeria to play her role as a leader in West Africa and Africa.
“We discussed ways that we can put some confidence building measures to allow politicians, civil society organisations and eminent personalities play a role in minimising conflicts that could occur before, during and after the elections.”
Chambas promised that the UN will ensure the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) works to enhance the confidence of politicians in the process.
Wike repeated what he has been saying – that elections should not be a do or die affair, and that the current zero sum game (winner takes all mentality) approach should be discarded in the interest of the country.
He did not disagree with Chambas that stakeholder engagements are pivotal to credible polls.
He recalled that he has often expressed concern about the capacity of the INEC to deliver credible election in 2019 going by the demeanour of its personnel in recent standalone elections, such as in the Ekiti and Osun governorships, with the alleged complicity of the security agencies.
Wike said all Nigerians want is for the INEC to allow their votes count if the electoral body must live up to its responsibility of an unbiased umpire.
The more one thinks that the uncertainty over the 2019 ballot will phase out as time draws closer and as strong international and local voices proffer ways out to the scary situation, the more things get more complicated.
There has been tension all over the country since November 18 when the INEC blew the whistle for political campaigns to begin.
Before November 18, ward, local government and state congresses, primaries and national conventions organised by political parties precipitated defections that saw realignment of political forces.
Defections in the major parties assumed a life of their own.
Those who ditched the party under which platform they were elected include Senate President, Bukola Saraki; House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara; former Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio; and former Governor now Senator Rabiu Kwankwazo, among others.
Compounding the defections was the denial of tickets to some politicians by their parties, which made the “victims” let loose their mischievous and criminal tendencies in such a manner that nothing else matters to them than their ambition.
As the election draws closer, we witness the implication of such desperate defections and selfish politicking, the majority of them despicable because of the purposes they are meant to achieve.
Apart from Rivers, news from Akwa Ibom is not palatable. It is scary and may permanently damage the foundation of peace of that state if something is not done urgently to contain the rampage by politicians.
Akwa Ibom political big guns are ruffling feathers.
The combatants include former Governor Godswill Akpabio, the incumbent Udom Emmanuel, Assembly Speaker, Oniofok Luke; former Minister Don Etiebet; former Secretary to the State Government, Umana Umana; National Assembly Presidential Liaison Officer, Senator Ita Enang; and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Managing Director, Nsima Ekere. There are still others.
Nobody wants to yield an inch to another because of their selfish ambition.
They leave ordinary Akwa Ibom indigenes wondering if these are the same people parading themselves as their leaders, and why they have remained taciturn until now that election is around the corner.
Recently, five Akwa Ibom House of Assembly lawmakers (G5), led by Nse Ntuen, allegedly being used to distabilise the state, attempted to impeach Emmanuel.
Ntuen was declared Speaker by the G5 which has the protection of the Commissioner of Police, Musa Kimo, and some APC fat cows.
The G5 had defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC). Luke declared their seats vacant in line with legislative and constitutional rules.
The rebel lawmakers would not take that.
Last week, their desperation got to a head when there was an attempt to forcefully take over the Assembly complex in Uyo despite a pending court case on their defection.
On Wednesday, November 28, a High Court in Uyo ordered Ntuen to stop parading himself as Speaker until the motion filed by the counsel to Luke is determined.
Justice Ekaete Obot ordered the injunction served on Ntuen in person and the proof of service filed back in court.
The order read in part: “Upon the court been satisfied that the application has been brought in substantial compliance with the rules of court, accordingly it is ordered as follows:
“That an order of interim injunction be issued restraining … Ntuen from parading himself as the Speaker … pending the determination of motion on notice filed by … counsel to … Luke.
“That this order shall be served alongside the motion of notice and the originating summons on each of the respondents in person and pasting same at all conspicuous places in the Assembly complex.”
The case was adjourned until December 7, 2018 for hearing.
Emmanuel and his supporters blame Akpabio for the insurrection.
They say he wants to deliver Akwa Ibom to the APC as part of agreement to trade off the alleged corruption case Abuja has against him, and also to position himself for Senate president if the APC retains federal power.
Akpabio is allegedly instigating the impeachment of Emmanuel using the G5 as pawns.
Emmanuel said on twitter that “the mastermind of this crisis include people that this state gave the opportunity to become what they never dreamt they could become.
“People that other people gave the opportunity to become Commissioner for six years and Governor for eight years, making it 14 years.
“I want to let the world know that Nigerians fought and gave their lives in this country for us to enjoy the democracy we currently have today, but due to the ambition of selfish people, our democracy is being threatened in #AkwaIbom State.”
Everybody knows that Emmanuel was referring to Akpabio, who quickly responded by dismissing the accusation from the man he installed his successor in 2015.
Akpabio alleged that “the brazen act of lawlessness by the governor” was responsible for the crisis when he spoke through his spokesperson, Anietie Ekong.
He labeled Emmanuel as a “major sponsor” of the crisis.
Akpabio added: “In his desperation to shop for who to blame and pass the buck, Governor Udom Emmanuel has blamed the security agencies in the state, and Senator Akpabio has only become his latest victim.
“How can a state Governor accuse Senator Akpabio of being the brain behind the crisis, and at the same time declared that ‘the police should be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the state and not any other person’? Does it add up?”
“It is on record that the Governor personally led his security aides and thugs to the House of Assembly and supervised the manhandling of some members of the House of Assembly who were performing their constitutional duties.
“The brazen act of lawlessness by the Governor is responsible for the crisis.
“In justifying this meddlesomeness and interference in the functions of a separate arm of government, the Commissioner for Information of Akwa Ibom State, Charles Udoh, said he went to the House of Assembly as the Chief Security Officer of the State!
“It is instructive that Senator Akpabio was never at the scene of the fracas, neither has anyone any evidence of his involvement, except the oft-repeated strategy of blaming anything that is wrong in the state on Senator Akpabio.
“We advise Governor Emmanuel to brace up and face the challenges of his office, instead of looking for who to blame for his lacklustre performance in the last three and a half years which have made Akwa Ibom people determine to democratically vote him and his party out in the election next year.”
But on Thursday, November 29, Akwa Ibom women staged a protest in Uyo, pledged solidarity with Emmanuel, and cautioned against the plot to impeach him.
State APC Chairman, Ime Okopido, denied plan to impeach Emmanuel, telling reporters on the day of the protest that the APC would not waste precious time by trying to impeach someone who has three months left in office.
He dismissed as faulty and misleading the statement credited to the state PDP Chairman, Paul Ekpo, on November 27 alleging the APC lawmakers met to impeach Emmanuel.
“We in the APC have never discussed plans to impeach the Governor, and indeed, we are not interested in moving for his impeachment,” Okopido insisted.
“Rather, we are eagerly waiting for March 2, 2019 when Akwa Ibom people will vote out this incompetent and clueless Governor.
“We have just three months to go, so there is no need to waste time on impeachment.”
The desperation to win election by the political parties and their members in 2019 has reached feverish stage.
In Akwa Ibom and Rivers, the complaints appear synonymous, no thanks to the major dramatis personae from those states – including Akpabio and Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi.
Wike continues to shout on top of his voice that the Federal Government is planning to rig the governorship in his state and Akwa Ibom.
When the Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria, Robert Petri, visited Government House last week, Wike urged the European Union (EU) to pay closer attention to the election in the two states.
His words: “When I raised an alarm that the Federal Government is plotting to plant 800 guns in Rivers State to destabilise the state, it is the truth. It is real.
“The Federal Government, working with the security agencies, is planning to disrupt the 2019 governorship elections in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States.
“They want to ensure that the elections don’t hold with other states, so that they can mobilise security agencies to manipulate the results.
“As members of the European Union, we want you to use your position to prevail on the INEC and security agencies to allow the will of the people to prevail.
“Manipulating the electoral process is corruption. This administration claims that it is fighting corruption, but that is not true. When a PDP member defects, the issue of corruption against him ends.”
Wike reiterated that the INEC and the security agencies have been compromised.
The recent disruption of a training exercise involving Rivers youths for neighbourhood security by the army further underscores Wike’s apprehension.
Like Chambas, Petri assured him that the EU will closely monitor the elections to ensure their credibility.
Petri added: “We are getting closer to the general elections which are very important. We need free and fair elections conducted under a peaceful environment.
“The European Union, which we are part of, will be sending monitors for the presidential and governorship elections. It is important that the elections are conducted in a friendly environment.”
So much propaganda has gone out regarding the elections. There is fear and there is tension. Uncertainty pervades the national landscape, yet it looks to the authorities that all is well.
The saying is true that when a child is crying and pointing his finger to a particular direction, someone related to that child must be present where he points his finger.
Also true is another saying that where one who talks too much is present, another who does too much is also present.
What is brewing in Akwa Ibom and Rivers with the two Governors complaining bitterly should not be swept under the carpet or taken to mean they are complaining too much. That they belong to the opposition is immaterial.
It is better to complain loudly than to keep silent over an impending danger that will consume everyone if allowed to smoulder.
The complaints tabled before Chambas and Petri are quite germane and should be escalated for the attention of higher quarters before we go into the election next year.
Nigeria’s democracy has survived these 19 years out of painful hard work and sacrifice, sustained mainly by the suffering masses.
Things have not been as planned or envisaged but even in the hopeless circumstances and scenario, the masses have weathered the storm to make their choice of democracy far above dictatorial government.
It will be sad if a few politicians, out of selfish disposition and greed, take everybody 19 years back to when this new dispensation started.
We talked down on former President Goodluck Jonathan, including calling him clueless.
Yet one of the things about which he towers above his colleagues – which we will never forget – is his recognition that the lives of Nigerians are more precious to him than their votes and they should not be killed to enable him win reelection.
That should still be the guiding principle of those who think their ambition for 2019 should take precedent over our lives and our common destiny.
And people like Chambas and Petri should take note of the complaints now.
