One Man One Vote My Foot

As Nigeria turns, I continue to laugh at those people who are turning
with it for all the type of things they continue to do. The Nigerian
society is continuously turning round and round. And as it does this,
it turns around with the inhabitants of the society...people, animals,
buildings, plants, trees, waters and seas and other creatures in the
Nigerian society.

According to the former president of this country, Chief Olusegun, "na
laugh I dey laugh" In fact, na laugh, I too, dey laugh because of the
most unusual things which continue to happen in this country.

The most laughable thing is how people are celebrating the victory of
a particular party or parties depending on who are the victors and
vanquished.

But when you come to look at it, there is one particular question that
stares out waiting for a sincere and honest answer. And that is the
just passing national elections ranging from the Presidential members
of the National Assembly, State governors and members of the State
House of Assembly. And that bugging question is this was the last
elections in truth and in fact free? "one man one vote." Or was it
free for all thumb printing of voters' papers in various houses, huts,
sheds, bushes, etc?

Those who proceeded in outsmarting others to get desired results have
been jubilating and celebrating while on the other hand, those who
were outsmarted have been lamenting their losses. But the truth is
that the last election whatever may be your own interest was not that
of one man one vote.

Those who may doubt this and have assess to facebook facilities should
open up to be shocked at what was posted there showing where some
malam in Zamfara State were busy in a thick forest with INEC aprons,
busy thumb printing ballot papers on behalf of different parties.
After thumb printing hundreds of ballot papers, giving APC thousands
of votes, they thumb printed 237 for PDP. But the most interesting and
laughable, they liberally thumb printed on behalf of APGA 5 votes and
they laughed. After thumb printing, two of the men carried the INEC
box, mounted on a bike and drove off. Indeed, it is "free, fair and
credible" election indeed. No, not one man one vote, it is one man
thumb printing thousands of ballot papers to the pleasure of these
culprits. Yet, the bam boozed International observers went ahead to
announce to the world that Nigerian elections could be adjudged "free,
fair and credible."

It was not Zamfara case that was the only one spectacular case one
could see and read in the facebook, twitter, etc. There are so many
reported incidents of alarming proportions affecting different
political parties and their sponsors.

In all honesty, we have never conducted free, fair and credible
elections. Not at all. If one has to be honest and fair to one
society, one could minimally apportion just 20 percent free, fair and
credible to the general elections from the Presidency, National
Assembly, Governorship and State Assembly seats. It was a mad house of
cheats, frauds, abnormalities, and irregularities at all levels. Many
Nigerians knew this and the president who hurriedly conceded victory
knows it more than any other person. He, too, like Obasanjo dey laugh.

But there is one thing which those who secured victories through fraud
must understand, anything obtained by fraud must not bring timely and
lasting happiness and comfort to the assumed victors. Soon, they would
individually and collectively in the course of their assignment begin
to enjoy both fruits of their dishonesty, cheats, and victory by
irregular and criminal means. Today, they may be rejoicing and
celebrating, sooner or later, Nemesis would catch up with them
because, satan, whom they used to cheat and opt in undeserved
victories would soon visit them for account. Because successes
achieved through dishonest means would never bring lasting comfort or
happiness.

The ultimate looser is the Nigerian society whose myriad of problems,
unemployment, poverty, sicknesses, diseases, hardship, lack of regular
electricity supply, bad roads, lack of food items to buy at affordable
prices, etc would continue. Although Goodluck Jonathan will soon go
but these myriads of national difficulties and challenges would remain
behind as Nigeria society turns.

In the end all the efforts, resources expended and some loss of lives
of innocent Nigerians would have come to nothing because what we have
just done was a rehearsal of the old way of doing things but in a
different way, thinking that we have cheated others to victory. No, we
have simply cheated ourselves, our children and those yet unborn.

For how long could Nigeria continue to deceive ourselves? After all,
the earlier we understand that we cannot run faster than our heels,
the better. But can we?
--Trumpeta