Who could have thought it possible?  No one could have imagined this fellow would have been called now to oversee even a coin toss.  But here we are in Nigeria.  Iwu is rolling up his soggy sleeves to once again “serve” his fatherland.   When he released his Election 2007 Report earlier this month (October 2007), he insisted that those elections were free, fair and credible, and that they would stand the test of time.  Now that they have not, he is apparently gearing up to reprise his failure. 

So far, at the gubernatorial level, there are Kebbi and Kogi States possibly slated for election re-runs.  There’s bound to be more States to follow.  River State is likely to be so ordered.  Also there are quite a few legislative elections that have been annulled nationwide and have to be run again.   Iwu is going to undoubtedly do the same as last time.  In fact, he said that much at his report presentation.  From what we’ve come to know of his personality and mind, he is going to conduct a thoroughly rigged election to justify and sustain his earlier madness.   Back in 2005 he stated that he would give his life for a credible election in 2007.  He is still breathing.  Also at that time, he tried to ensure that foreign election monitors and observers (which is the standard the world over) were barred from the elections but failed.  Simply, Iwu is devoid of any redemptive quality.

The last time, this man went out of his way to pour invectives on opposition (to the PDP) Political Parties.  He accused them of not campaigning hard enough to win.  At one point, he said the number of States covered by the Presidential campaigns of opposition Parties were not enough.  He claimed only the PDP covered every part of the country in their campaign.  I was surprised he had the time to follow and count those sort of things.   He went completely out of his way to install Andy Uba as governor of Anambra State.  Of course, it was the same Uba – a former butler to Obasanjo – who nominated him for the INEC job; so Iwu who ought to be an impartial umpire felt obliged to manipulate the polls in that State in Uba’s favour.  The crudity and the brazenness he employed to accomplish that mission were out of this world.  Similarly, there is a certain Oni and Alao-Akala sitting (hopefully not too comfortably) in Ekiti and Oyo States respectively.  All these people won as PDP candidates under Iwu’s watch!

In the history of contemporary Nigeria, Maurice Iwu features prominently in a small band of evil and retrogressive people.  (One Patricia Etteh is currently trying her damnedest to join this select group).  Is Iwu going to have a second shot at unleashing his crookedness on the nation?  Are we going to be made to endure another dose of the illogical postulations of citizen Philip Umeadi jnr and co? 

The same dishonest and dishonourable structure is still in place at INEC.  From Chairman to State Electoral Commissioners.  The same compromised folks are all still there.  Moreover, Iwu never claimed that he wasn’t corrupt or never took bribes during the elections (he couldn’t for fear of being struck by thunder).  Lately he has been complaining that the Nigerian factor and the fierce atmosphere leading to the elections (most of which he created himself, mind you) made the 2007 elections a very tough job for him.  Then clearly, he was, and still is the wrong man for the job.  Those same factors existed in 1993 when Babangida was dribbling everyone and dreadful people were running to courts to stop the elections.  Yet we had an election that was adjudged credible enough.  Iwu tried to con us and pretentiously declared that the Political Parties acted in bad faith.  Really?  Nigerian politicians acting in bad faith?  I wasn’t aware they acted any other way.  In other words, Iwu is confessing of being inept.

Clearly, the National Assembly is not going to tell this man to go as he put quite a few of them there illegitimately in the first place.  In fact, David Mark, the current Senate President whose own election is hanging on by a thread had always been in Iwu’s amen corner.  Recently, Mark offered this thought: “The 2007 elections represents a major milestone in our democratic history in the march towards the building of a democratic culture”.  You couldn’t make stuff like this up.  Yar’Adua has – with limited courage - said severally that the 2007 elections were very faulty.  Unfortunately, our servant-leader has got his own worries and in any event is pretty much unconcerned with happenings in the country at the moment.  So it looks like Iwu, a proven faulty and reckless umpire is going to be inflicting himself on us again. 

Despite Yar’Adua’s lip service and in the clarity of daylight, it would appear that Iwu was retained – offensive odour and all – by this administration because it anticipated current political developments.  They need a lackey like Iwu to ensure that they get back to their former stations.   The man who oversaw the conduct of the worst elections probably in the history of elections is going to be entrusted with the responsibility to repeat the same feat.  That’s progress for you.

Unless something drastic happens soon, Maurice Iwu would soon be conducting and supervising elections in Nigeria again!  I know.  You are filled with dread.  The man himself is drooling and rubbing his palms together.

demdem@hotmail.co.uk