By Austen Akhagbeme
As a young scholar, about a decade ago, I did a research on elections and electoral crises in Nigeria.
Part of my findings was a possible unholy complicity of the electoral umpires, who in our wildest dreams and imagination, were expected to live up to their statutory roles as impartial arbiters.
In the sub-theme, I concluded that the immature democratic institutions like the electoral bodies, have contributed negatively to the growth of democracy in Nigeria.
I stand boldly to reaffirm that position this morning as news of the postponement of the much anticipated and highly expensive Nigerian Presidential and National Assembly election in the wee hours of Dee-Day fills the air.
While several seemingly genuine reasons may be adduced for this controversial move by Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the mere fact that they created the situation or yielded to the created situation, as the case may be, will definitely give room to both genuine and conspiracy theories by several critics, observers, political pundits and partisan pugilists to explain and analyze what truly happened.
No one must blame them, because INEC had all the ample time to prepare and plan for this all-important election than to do a macabre dance at the dying minute.
If truly the postponement was due to the logistics of getting “sensitive materials” across to some destination, as INEC would have us believe.
Why did the commission have to wait till the very last hour to appreciate that and come up with a solution, nay the postponement of the election? Does this reveal the shortsightedness of the INECs leadership or a blatant disregard for our collective sensibility, just so they can do the bidding of the powers that be?
The Hegelian Principle of argument that recognizes the three crucible of Thesis, Antithesis and Synthesis comes in handy here. While the thesis represents the official position of INEC here, the antithesis represent the direct opposite views of the position of INEC as being adduced in the public space even now. The Synthesis represents and seeks to harmonize the two opposing views that will take a near similar position of the initial view. This is the theoretical framework with which this argument will be based until the day of election.
Nevertheless, this is a familiar terrain. It is not new to us at all. What is new is INEC allowing the same proverbial mistake back to back. It was rumoured then that President Goodluck Jonathan and his party were hamstrung, and faced with the possibility of failure, prompted the electoral umpire to do “the needful” so as to catch some breath and rejig the process.
At the end of the day, he still picked up his phone to congratulate the eventual winner.
The most viral conspiracy theory as at now is what they call the “OSUN TEMPLATE” and how that election was originally (but clandestinely) planned to take place in 26 states today, while reserving the other states to possibly tinker with their results, depending on the outcome of today’s election, if it had held.
Well, it was Obierika, a prominent character in Chinua Achebe’s award winning epic, THINGS FALL APART, who said: “Since Okonkwo chose to die like a dog, He must be buried like a dog”.
INEC chose to be riddled with controversies and must be ready to entertain same. Whatever may be the reason to postpone today’s election at the very last minute, one thing is sure: this macabre dance will stop very soon.
One week is not eternity. We will bear the inconveniences but not the denial of our rights. The people’s voice and votes must prevail.
Akhagbeme, an International Relations expert and political analyst, wrote from Abuja
