For there to be peace there must be justice, and for there to be justice the reality should take priority.
Election is essentially the most basic facet of any democratic nation and it’s a course of through which the folks vote to decide on the particular person or group of individuals greatest suited to symbolize them in creating and uniting their territory (nation).
If you happen to discover, the key phrase, when speaking about election, is centered round Individuals as a result of as a society we want a bunch of leaders to make sure orderliness and cohesiveness in our communities to ensure that us as people or group to have the ability to thrive, utilise our potential and actualise our particular person God-given functions.
That’s why it is vitally vital for us as a folks to think about the sort of leaders we need to bestow energy upon as they gained’t solely be the face of the nation, however the character and icon of our nice republic and likewise as a result of it is vitally crucial to the sustenance and progress of any nation.
Election must be sacred, something lower than an unassailable course of is rigged and the implications of a rigged election is a nation in decline. We study the American electoral course of which is designed as a rigged system by requiring no voters identification, permitting non-citizens to vote in addition to permitting mail-in ballots with out verifying particular person’s signatures.
This was used of their 2020 elections and see the result, it resulted to seeing the American folks going by means of the best inflation price in over 40 years and the world being on the brink of world battle 3, then juxtapose it with the simply concluded 2023 Nigeria’s presidential and Nationwide Meeting elections which had been designed to be essentially the most safe, free, truthful and clear election in our historical past.
INEC was to make sure voters ID playing cards had been intact and implement the BVAS which can make it virtually not possible for the method to be rigged. However in Nigeria, there’s a frequent assertion and a reoccurring theme that’s used as a basic expression if you find yourself in disbelief which is “Wonders shall by no means finish”.
How a course of that was meant to be above par even past the extent and customary of the USA of America which is presently in a state of decline on account of a rigged election system, how way more can be our destiny if we as a folks don’t demand transparency and justice NOW? Are we going to have the ability to survive one other 4 years of no accountability even in our present state of affairs as a failed state?
That is the primary election I’ve witnessed as a Nigerian, and it’s largely as a result of nation’s financial woes that the youth had been so motivated to take part within the electoral course of as evidenced by the document, whereby the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) registered over 93 million Nigerians.
Many needed to undergo troublesome circumstances to acquire their PVC, simply so they may vote however on the finish of the day lower than 25 million ballots had been counted, the bottom in Nigerian historical past that’s lower than 27% of all registered voters.
Because of this it’s incumbent on the INEC to do a overview and audit of the method as a result of we as a folks is not going to settle for that over N300 billion of tax payers’ cash (the folks’s cash) be wasted and with out accountability.
There should be an reason why the newly carried out BVAS which was purported to function a safety measure in making certain a good and clear course of simply as when a buyer who makes use of a POS will get a receipt as proof of his transaction however what we skilled was one thing completely totally different. It turned out to be the best rip-off in Nigeria’s electoral historical past as no outcome was transmitted in each polling unit in Nigeria after the votes had been counted.
This can be a reminder to the enemies and saboteurs of our nation that the ability of the folks is larger than the folks in energy and that the true energy lies with the individuals who sacrificed every part and got here out in unprecedented numbers to train their civic proper and obligation as patriotic residents regardless of threats from political opponents, an absence of safety from INEC, an absence of coordination from INEC, acts of violence and the folks got here out to vote below the rain and also you need to rob them or silence their voice! That gained’t occur not this time! these similar persons are those who will decide the ultimate final result of this course of.
The ultimate final result of this election is not going to be decided by the favoured candidate whom the folks have overwhelmingly chosen to guide them, however by the folks themselves, who will resolve which trigger they need to help, because the darkest hour at all times comes earlier than daybreak. I urge everybody to not be discouraged, however to be inspired, and to exit and vote within the upcoming governorship and state legislative elections, exercising your franchise another time earlier than we take our stand as nice Nigerian folks.
In conclusion we are going to demand as a folks that the identical day voting is completed is identical day outcomes are collated and a winner introduced, that the election time be prolonged and we suggest it begins from 8am and ends at 5pm and that the BVAS have a way of printing verified tabulated outcome and a replica be given to all get together brokers in every polling unit throughout the nation.
We attraction to the Supreme Court docket of Nigeria on behalf of all aggrieved events to listen to this case with equity and justice as a result of to ensure that us to maneuver ahead and think about the system, there should be accountability and auditing of your complete course of. When the folks’s candidates go to the Supreme Court docket to make their attraction we the folks can be there to take our closing stand.
Igbagi, president/founder, Individuals’s Dream Initiative, writes from Abuja.