Many Nigerians were last week shocked to the marrows when they learnt that the bunch of backward and unprogressive minds presently occupying the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly had voted against the electronic transmission of votes during elections and in place of that they rather accepted wholly the archaic manual transmission of votes. For many people from Southern Nigeria, they were not just shocked, they were also annoyed to see that most of their Senators chose to stay away from the open voting and for many that did, simply voted against the innovation.
The present Nigerian National Assembly is unarguably the most unserious one in Nigeria’s political history, from its inception, the leadership simply made the legislative arm of government which it heads to appear like an agency of the ‘Presidency’ which is run by a Presidential cabal that has sworn to ensure that Nigeria would not experience real and sustainable development. Right from the inception, it showed Nigerians that there would be no Checks and balances as it was very willing to remain loyal slaves to the Executive arm of government. This is the only plausible reason why the House decided to protect the interest of their despotic lord and personal saviour with regards to the Electoral Act Amendment.
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To everyone who has been following events and developments in Nigeria, it is no longer news that the present maladministration of Muhammadu Buhari does not plan to conduct credible elections in 2023, the only reason they even got the mandate in the first place. It is rather painful that in this age and time, where thorough Information Technology, are doing wonders even as headways and further inroads are being made in making the world a technologically driven digital space, we have leaders who prefer Nigeria remain in the dark ages just to quench their unjustifiable lust for power.
One may even ask, why the heck should manual transmission of votes be a TOPIC for discussion in 2021?
I mean, the proposed system entails that when votes have been cast at various polling units, instead of sorting and doing the counting there and announcing results of each polling unit, with representatives of various political parties signing to it, then it’s sent to a central INEC server, but no, they are arguing against it, suggesting that votes be cast, then taken away to where it can be sorted, counted and their so wished results allotted, in 2021?
Now, perhaps one can excuse the North for its disposition to maintain the status quo as a means to retaining power in 2003, but then what can one say about their Southern counterparts who ought to have seen the bold handwriting on the wall? From the analysis of the votes which were cast to amend section 52(3) of the electoral act, it clearly showed that 28 Senators preferred to be absent when it mattered most, they preferred to keep their votes to themselves regardless of the echo and impact of their absence. Now a critical observer would ask? what if the 28 Senators who were mostly Southerners decided to stay, stand behind the bill and vote the clause in, what would have happened? Well, mathematically 28 plus 28 is 56 which by every indication would have dwarfed the position of those who hate the amendment just as they hate progressivism and forward movements.
From the surface, it was clear the North is scared of exposing its nudity, they are ostensibly scared of the mirage and duplicitous figures it calls population, it is afraid of explaining why the insurgency ravaged North has continued to churn out more votes than South Eastern zone of the country. The Northern policy of using underaged voters and voters from neighboring Niger and Chad republic was about being busted, luckily the highly inept, wicked, incompetent, selfish, and slavish Southern Senators came to the rescue.
It is painfully sad that the politicians that had chosen to have Nigeria remain in her dark ages are the same class of greedy individuals who see nothing wrong with Nigeria’s stunted growth. They don’t even see anything wrong in ‘their’ self-inflicted failure in leadership and governance generally to begin with. They see nothing wrong in the pool of graduates Nigeria is parading, yet they are no jobs and unemployment has skyrocketed to its all-time highest. Perhaps they are blind to the fact that something is wrong with our failed security apparatuses. Boko Haram and Fulani herders destroy farm settlements, raid homes, loot, maim, torture, rape and murder many in their numbers and to them, it’s nothing. Even when armed bandits operate in the North East, they are christened as herders, but where Sunday Igboho or Nnamdi Kanu raises a voice, they immediately call for their heads.
They see nothing wrong with the dwindling education system that we run. They see nothing wrong that we have Engineers, yet produce nothing but rather import everything. They see nothing wrong in the hiked importation tariffs. They see nothing wrong in the gross failure in our judicial system. All that matters to them is how to retain political power.
It is quite disheartening to note that the same Southeastern zone in Nigeria who has been chanting marginalisation was still the glaring bunch in the list of absentees. Imo, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Abia had just one vote each with other Senators absent, in fact Anambra was even worseoff with none of her 3 Senators present on the floor of the house to exercise their franchise at a time when their people needed them the most.
Perhaps, if Senator Utazi (Enugu), Onyewuchi (Imo), and the outspoken Abaribe (Abia) were also absent, it would have been a complete non-involvement of the Southeastern Zone, What a shame!
Of course some of the praise singers of the grossly incompetent Legislators have offered various reasons for their ‘MISSING IN ACTION’ moment, however, non of the reasons is tenable as they lack every logical input that could absolve them.
For Rochas Okorocha, the man that saw Imo State Government metamorphose into a family venture, he was simply absent because he felt adding his voice would scuttle his Presidential chances, talk about a slavish mentality that the Orlu born Iberibeism crooner has continued to delude himself with. For Stella of Anambra North, perhaps her bulletproof purchase scandal is still rattling her in her inner closets knowing fully well, that the Fulani Oligarchy neither forgives nor forgets. For the morally deficient former Governor of Abia State, the only way to keep his loots safe was to join the coup and gang up against his own people? Does he even regard them? Well, he doesn’t in all pragmatic terms. He simply despises them.
For the political harlotry enthusiast in Anambra, Uche Ekwunifie, running away was the best option, albeit for political reasons. To her, that day was the best day to commission projects in Ukpo! Would the story had been the same if the intent of the meeting that day was to scheme her in as Governor of Anambra State? The reader apparently knows the answer.
For Ekweremadu, his ‘German encounter has obviously been archived in his mind, standing for his people when it matters the most would be a political mistake for him, as he continues to jettison zoning as he schemes to take over the mantle of leadership in Enugu, 2023. The facts could go on in geometric progressions, and one would wonder, why does this bunch of people hate their constituents this much? Why do they even hate themselves too? It’s gross foolishness to even think it up, let alone bringing it up for a debate in this time and age.
Moving forward, that the Independent National Electoral Commission seems to be the only ‘hope’ with its determination to stand its ground and change the narratives. It seems that they are willing to make things happen. It seems that they are ready to be truly independent. Well, Nigerians are taking notes, They won’t always be lucky.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK