There is no doubt that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was a greenhorn in national politics when he was drafted into the presidential race towards the end of Obasanjo administration. Granted that those who knew him when he was a state governor said and continue to say that he is a gentleman, events in the past few weeks – nay, months – have pointed to the fact that he is learning fast the art of Nigerian politics.

One was tempted to sympathise with him at his swearing in when he admitted that the process that brought him in as President was fraught with inconsistencies. His point then was that we should all join hands with him – for the sake of our country – to make the electoral process, among others, what it should be. Although he did not make much sense to a lot of people, a few felt he was sincere enough in admitting some flaws in the process – flaws from which he benefited.

But all that is history now. The recent election tribunal’s ruling seems to have made him reconsider his stand on the process that brought him to power as President. The very first statement from the Presidency was emphatic that the judgement merely confirmed President Yar’Adua’s conviction that he was the people’s choice. In other words, nothing was wrong with the elections. At least, the tribunal said that much. And now, it would seem our President is convinced beyond all reasonable doubts that our electoral process is okay the way it is. What he has not said is that it will be allowed to remain the same. But that, unfortunately, can be inferred from his first reaction to the judgement. And when you combine this with the many inconsistencies in his policy statements, you will conclude that he has really matured in this dirty game of politics.   

The question is: after the recent tribunal’s ruling and Uncle Umaru’s submission, what need is there for the electoral reforms committee which was set up by the president himself to assuage all aggrieved parties after the April 2007 elections? If nothing was wrong with the electoral process that brought him in, why waste national resources on a committee which was inadvertently given the responsibility of looking for what, as it would seem, is not missing? It may as well be disbanded if our dear President is convinced, in his heart of hearts, that there was nothing wrong with the system that brought him in.

I guess the issue really was that those who took their case to the tribunal after the elections could not prove beyond reasonable doubts that the elections were not free and fair. That, in my opinion, does not automatically lead to the conclusion that the elections were not massively rigged or rigged one way or the other. Otherwise, it would make mockery of the overwhelming evidence in the public domain, as well as in international circles, to the extent that the April 2007 elections fell short of acceptable international standards. Never mind Maurice Iwu has been grinning from ear to ear since the tribunal delivered that ‘landmark’ judgement.

Hopefully, there will be many more elections after that judgement. But it is important to point out that the next elections must not be allowed to be worse than the last. In fact, it must be better in every ramification. That is the only way to assuage the Nigerians who have been devastated by the recent judgement that there is indeed hope for this country and prove to the outside world that our country is truly evolving as a democratic nation.

My fear is that if the President and the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) do not look at that election tribunal’s judgement beyond its face value, we will end up in 2011 with worse elections. That is why I honestly feel that, in spite of the judgement, the already inaugurated electoral reforms committee should be allowed to fashion out an acceptable process that will usher our country, which has the potential to be great, into a truly democratic dispensation. And it should be given a free hand to carry out its assignment. To do otherwise is to scuttle the little this country has gained in the past nine years in the name of democracy.

Robot  Villager

# 1 There is no doubt that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was a greenhorn in n...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 07.03.2008 08:20

Sapele Man  Villager

# 2 I guess the issue really was that those who took their case to the tribunal after the elections could not prove beyond reasonable doubts that the elections were not free and fair. That, in my opinion, does not automatically lead to the conclusion that the elections were not massively rigged or rigged one way or the other. Otherwise, it would make a mockery of the overwhelming evidence in the public domain, as well as in international circles, to the extent that the April 2007 elections fell short of acceptable international standards. Never mind Maurice Iwu has been grinning from ear to ear since the tribunal delivered that ‘landmark’ judgement. Sylvester Look at the two statements I have marked in bold and tell me why you should not be brought to my tribunal to purge your speculative tendencies. When you are coming to my tribunal you should take note of the following: 1. Speculation or hearsay is not acceptable evidence in case that borders on criminal act. 2. If valuable evidence was in the public domain then it would not be difficult for you to get hold of one for your defence. 3. I will always pass my judgement on the basis of evidence before me. If you play ball I will let you off. Play ball? Yes, promote me to the supreme court and the game is over. Posted by Sapele Man| 09.03.2008 00:51