Grandiose Parlor

In the next six months Nigeria will celebrate - with the usual fanfare of course - it’s 47th Independence anniversary. And in the last eight years we have had two elections, what should have been the third is what commenced lasted Saturday, but there is a preponderance of evidence that it’s nothing but a sham and a disgraceful process unbefitting of a nation that sees itself as the giant of Africa - or the “Heart of Africa”, as the Obasanjo administration is wont to propagandize to the world.

Unlike the state elections my optimism for the presidential election is at very low ebb, and this is the general feeling across Nigeria. Already there are some reasons to be concerned. The people have simply lost faith and hope in the process. The word is d-i-s-e-n-f-r-a-n-c-h-i-s-e-m-e-n-t!

While the PDP-controlled Obasanjo’s administration should admit the debauchery it has committed against the democratic pursuits of Nigerians, seek forgiveness, and sincerely explore means of bring back order and sanity to the electoral process and justice to the Nigerian people - it resorts to use propaganda (lies), scare tactics and pushing full steam-ahead to finish the election debacle it started.

Yes, Nigerians have had enough of Obasanjo and his power-drunk PDP, and can’t wait to see the man relocate to his chicken farm. But it is also imperative, at this point, to start seeking ways to correct the wrongs and errors of our electoral missteps, and restore hope to the people. It simply doesn’t make sense to expect the wounds inflicted on the people will heal without any form of nurturing. Nigerians have witnessed far too many incidences of executive judgment errors, cases of despotism, and selfish manipulations of the various arms of government since independence to self-nurse any more. Our innate mechanism of dealing with these failures, and hoping for a better and progressive Nigeria is now out of whack!

This is why:

From the errors of the first republic, the era of Awolowo/Azikwe/Ahmadu-Bello (1963-1966) and the a-million-casualty civil war, to the failure of the second republic (Shagari, 1979-1983 ) to Generals Buhari, Babangida/Abiola/Sonekan/General Abacha capitulations (1983-1999). While the post-independence period is predominately under “Military-cracy”, the current effrontery subverting the will of the people of Nigeria is being orchestrated by people shrouded in the garments of democracy: Power-drunk, self-serving civilians and politicians vagabonds camouflaged as democrats! How much can the people take?

Over the years, Nigeria has been in the toilet bowl and struggling to get out. However, since the last Saturday elections,  Nigeria has been flushed down the toilet and now in a pit under stinking heap-loads of electoral mess, executive corruption, and religious and ethnic violence. And to make matter worse, we have been digging and sinking deeper since then!

Whatever happens after the elections, or whatever party wins the presidential election can not jubilate - how can any party claim victory when we are all in the pit? We are all losers! It becomes imperative that the first thing to do is stop digging any further by:

• Investigating all allegations of electoral fraud and the shoddy performance of INEC

• Correcting the electoral anomalies recorded, and

• Sanctioning culprits to the extent permitted under the constitution.

Then Nigeria will start finding its way out of the pit, start healing, and confidence will be brought back to the electorate, and respect to our nation.