“Thou Dawn of Light that Vision Bringeth All, the Guide of Sages Great with Power Endowed”
Bankole A. Okuwa    Ph. D.

To millions of well-meaning Nigerians who desire democracy in our land, whether they fully grasp its meaning, its seeds, its implications and its future for our plural national community or not, I send you all my heart-felt and joyous congratulations on the unanimous Supreme Court decision that the Vice President Abubakar Atiku could not be disqualified by the rudderless, hyper-prejudiced, faithless, corrupt, lawless and partial Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) led by graceless Professor Iwu and his mindless lot.   This is justice for all and not for Atiku alone, with Obasanjo included.

One unusual but agreeable response of Chief Bayo Ojo; the Attorney General and that of the negatively adamant Iwu; an Atiku hater, will surely disappoint our big boss and dictator president, who has been trying to lord the Executive arm of government over the other two branches since he became President in 1999.  Chief Bayo Ojo and Professor Iwu would not mind  being fired now because they have only one month left. Earlier before now, they dared not accept popular and competent judicial decisions because the big boss would not feel comfortable with them.  The implication of what we may begin to see after the latest Supreme Court opinion is the hypocrisy of Obasanjo’s men both in his government, his party ,the PDP and in all other public agencies he fondly employs to persecute his Vice President, and all other perceived political enemies and opponents.

Before discussing the numerous implications of the Supreme Court latest decision on the future of our polity, I wish to refer to the title of this article “Thou Dawn of Light that vision bringeth  all……………………….   endowed” I am sorry to be parochial in my choice of words. This title comes from the first stanza of Ijebu-Ode Grammar School (JOGS) song.  I decided to quote it because of its relevance to our Supreme Court stance on Atiku’s struggle to contest the imminent presidential election, and the implication on the rest of us who believe in democratic Nigeria.  This opinion of the Supreme Court is the ‘dawn of light that vision brings to all’. It is the guide of our great leaders(sages) Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and Sir Ahmadu Bello who were blessed and endowed with political vision and power to hold this federal system(Nigeria) together for a great future.   In other words Nigeria, a conglomerate of nation-states amalgamated in 1914 by the British colonial agent, Lord Lugard became sustained by the combined vision of our sages; that is, our founding fathers namely  Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello, despite its numerous tribulations of ethnicity, tongue and religion.  All current political machinations of fascism, Nazi tendencies, communist inclinations and all other totalitarian approaches to govern contemporary Nigeria will collapse and democracy will survive and grow. Amen.  A few weeks ago we wrote about “Looming Anarchy………………”,but political naivete and lack of vision were responsible for some people to describe us fabricators and prophets of doom.  Our cardinal belief in universal free speech as a major principle of democratic privileges and rights will not allow our temper to rise.

All the resistance against the Obasanjo Gestapo by the adherents of democracy and tension that emanated from last Saturday’s April 14 INEC conducted election are legitimate grounds for the impeachment of our President. The totality of INEC’s partisan dispensation, coupled with Obasanjo’s fascist and Nazi methodology, state lawlessness, carting away of ballot boxes, stuffing of ballot boxes, manhandling of innocent voters, threatening, shooting, maiming and killing of voters and opposition party members all in a grand design to execute wrong orders and instructions through the state security men, police and members of the State Security Service and the army in order to provide illegal protection to the PDP hoodlums who were assigned to rig the elections in favor of the ruling party; the PDP attrocities should not fade away without adequate consequences.  All external observers of the INEC supervised election of Saturday April 14, 2007 as eye witnesses have condemned the total execution and manner of the election.   The United States and European Union officials strongly criticized the handling of the polls.  The irregularities were overwhelming and the entire cumulative scenario stands to diminish Nigeria’s political and economic images and opportunities globally.

Having provided the latest ‘dawn of light’ coming precisely from the Supreme Court, all hope to nurture the Nigerian democracy to its full bloom in  future is not lost.  The Judicial arm remains our great hope and we are proud of our Supreme Court where its men of honor are determined to keep the faith with our constitution and hard won democracy.

Our next line of action is to vigorously lobby the Nigerian National Assembly; our central legislature to discover its potentials in order to contain the Executive branch’s excessive erosion of its rights, powers and privileges. Those who often refer to ‘family affair” as a syndrome to resolve public issues either at party or governmental level are corrupt minds who are cynical of democratic process.  The PDP often uses the family affair notion to cover-up nauseating public issues that cannot stand the test of Nigeria’s criminal laws and the EFCC searchlight.

The National Assembly should cut short its recess and come back to work on the deplorable political issues and events which President Obasanjo, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have imposed on the Nigerian polity in their mad pursuit of personal aggrandizement and selfishness.  The political situation in the country would become worse if the Presidential election goes ahead on Saturday April 21, 2007 without a precautionary legislative measure. The only optimist-observer who expressed satisfaction with last Saturday’s election is President Olusegun Obasanjo.   The INEC has shifted its position to blame the police and the SSS for all the incredible occurrences which portray us as buffoons and wretches of the developing world..  We are yet to hear from the loquacious Akin Osuntokun on the presidency’s rationale for the horrible election deliberately created and imposed on the hapless Nigerian electorate by the PDP government to destabilize our country.  Some drastic action needs to be taken by the entire membership of the National Assembly to stop this slide into political abyss as designed by Obasanjo and his cohorts.          

Under normal political circumstances throughout the developed and developing democracies, it is strange and curious to witness a leaving president or prime minister or head of government engage in so much political havoc and negative political designs to sustain and perpetuate his political party on his country. I suspect our President may be a victim of a psychotic disorder characterized by delusions of grandeur or some irrational distrust of others.  A good majority of Nigerians reject the PDP as a party to continue ruling them because it has not performed creditably and progressively since 1999. They also disapprove of President Obasanjo’s presidential leadership because it is too cantankerous, incompetent, full of double standard, inefficient with a resounding failure in fulfilling majority, if not all, of his election promises, dating back to 1999. The failure of electricity for domestic use could not be achieved, not to talk of its utility for industrial purposes.  What is the moral justification for trying to impose unpopular candidates, failed leaders and a lawless non-performing political party, the PDP, on Nigerians who are sick and tired of Obasanjo’s government?

 It is now obvious and very clear to the blind that Mr. President has lost all reasonable focus to give Nigeria its desired peace and political stability. The National Assembly should step in to remove the political mess already created by the Executive arm of government, stop the INEC and the recalcitrant Iwu, and ease Obasanjo out of the presidency because his time is due.  The man can no longer adjust himself to taking the right decisions for Nigeria.  He is not a convinced democrat.  He is not capable of providing democratic leadership; much less possess the personal values to build a democratic society.  I would not want him to be impeached because so much time will be wasted and the corrupt money bags of PDP will have a field day of horse trading to further wreck our country. But if he cannot read the abrupt end of his presidency on the political wall of the moment, he should be removed by impeachment. If he is agreeable to national peace and does not wish to resign in disgrace,  the National Assembly can carefully ease him out and let him have all the privileges due to a retired president.  Senator Nnamani, the Senate President can take over for three to six months and have a new INEC to do what is expected in conducting a new and decent election as we had it in 1993 with Professor Humphrey Nwosu, then  Nigeria will regain its glory in the comity of nations.  Long live our Supreme Court.  Long live our enduring democracy and Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  We are over due for peace and political stability as a people.

Bankole A. Okuwa    Ph. D.

Professor of Political Science

Robot  Villager

# 1 Having provided the latest ‘dawn of light’ coming precisely from the Supreme Court, all...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 20.04.2007 00:24