Internal party democracy widely accepted the world over to be the bedrock for true democratization process has been bastardize in Nigeria, over twelve years of its democracy, lack of it was what characterized its civil rule system, reason why, Yar’Adua’s administration made it one among its cardinal principles. But today, same government failed to live by example, a good case was the Anambra State governorship election that just came and gone. In the last quarter of 2009, Anambra State became another political battle field when the ruling PDP mobilized all it arsenal and moved its national headquarter to Awka, all in the process to manipulate/produced a flag bearer for the party against the Feb 6, governorship election.

In what can be described in any civilized society as insensitivity or madness, over N4 million each was deceitfully collected from 47 aspirants wishing to vie for the seat under the platform of the ruling PDP, the first in the political history of not only this country but, the world at large and, the worse in any civilized democracy. Without any iota of conscience and at the very crucial time when the government in place is/was much expected to affirmed its resolve of pulling this country out of the political wood and world condemnation, same ruling political party was repeating in a more uglier manner what became the canker-worm to the country’s political development and as well, made it a pariah nation.

In the last lap of last year, like I said earlier, all PDP forces including the expected to be unbiased electoral umpire (INEC) shifted their activity to Anambra State just for a state governorship election, mobilizing all the required materials/logistic including Anambra elders/professionals all in an effort to insincerely rig PDP to Awka government house. First, was the state ruling party/Peter Obi, INEC did all it could to fracture its jinx in order to stop the incumbent governor from participating in the poll so as to pave-way for the PDP candidate, happily, that plot hit the brick wall as APGA/Peter Obi were undaunted, much alert and organized.

Then the almighty PDP that have already concluded to have won the Feb 6, election because of the involvement/vested interest of federal might and, the only reason why, 47 aspirants flexes muscle and commuted over N4 million each without recourse to any financial set-back and canvassed for the governorship ticket at the party level. But, in PDP’s unwavering manner of not allowing event to take its natural cause, the whole process was arm-bushed and skewed all in their restiveness to favour one camp/candidate; chieftains of the party at the national level and the presidency truncated all the effort for a fairer and just state party congress at Awka and Abuja respectively.

In this respect, how therefore, can we judge the sincerity of this administration on its resolve to electoral reform? All the Anambra State PDP members wanted was free and fair congress that would have produced a generally acceptable candidate for the Feb 6, governorship election to be allowed to justly hold, in addition, that would have re-affirmed the seriousness of the Yar’Adua’s government of putting our act right. Unfortunately, the rights of the Anambra State PDP members were nakedly denied and, all effort to seek redress in the court of competent jurisdiction probed abortive. Wonderful! This is a country that expressed its dismay over its current political stalemate, but, even its judiciary could not stand firm, there has to be problems.

Well, Soludo was finally foisted on the PDP members of Anambra State against majority wishes and due process, all reason(s) to buttress their unconstitutionality was given by even those that have no foreknowledge of the Anambrians, the environment or any business with the state. Talking like authorities about who Soludo is/was, his qualities and pedigrees as if without him, Anambra State will not be able to move to the next level of development or there are no one million and more of his likes or even better than him in the state.

In spite of all the gruesome murder of internal party democracy by chieftains of PDP/presidency at its party level, that was not enough, still went further and cooked-out a well hatched plot, concertedly working arms in length with the institution of INEC to rig the Feb6, governorship election in favour of Soludo, indeed, they plotted a repeat of the Ekiti State scenario, thanks for the consciousness and alertness of the people of the state. However, Soludo’s camp, before the conduct of the election, celebration for victory was in top-gear, at his campaign fund raising dinner, one of his associate donated N250 million, clearly indicating that the election has already been won. Else, what could have made one to contribute as much a whopping amount for just a contestant, if there was no assurance of victory?

Alas, God in his infinite mercy and the good people of Anambra State have today, put these people to shame, they stood their ground and bring to end PDP’s political rascality. An adage says ‘he who lives by the sword shall die by it; this indeed, is a reflection of good riddance for bad rubbish. They have worked-out a well conceived plan, deployed all the mercenaries but, the Anambra State citizenry were resolute and dogged, therefore, jealously guarded the sanctity of their votes and today, they are laughing last. A clear attestation that even without electoral reform, if Nigerians can be as resolute and dogged as the people of Kano State in the governorship election of 2003, Bauchi State in 2007 and now, Anambra State in 2010, come 2011, we will surely be able to re-write the cause of our history.

Well, National publicity Secretary of the ruling PDP, who before the conduct of Feb 6, governorship election, was everywhere supporting the candidature of Soludo that came through the back-door, has today, made a confessionary statement, the word ‘disenfranchise’ is reach enough, to disqualified the ruling PDP for its lack of democracy which was what exactly happened at the Anambra State PDP congress and, such atrocities in the past were what stagnated the country’s political development over twelve years from today. It has therefore, becomes a must for our ruling/political class to embrace the tenets of democracy and, where they failed to, it has inevitably becomes the responsibility of the citizenry to take charge of their destiny, being the only way-forward to reposition the Nigerian nation.

Severally, we sit over the fence and watched how our elites decide our affairs, mostly against our wishes, interest and rights and so, it goes without any spontaneous reaction. It’s only when this nomenclature is or forced to change; Nigeria will never be able to occupy its rightful place in the comity of nations.  

Abbas A. Dikko - No. 51, Kawo N/Ext, Kaduna

ibndikko11@yahoo.com

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