I can’t bring myself to get rid of this reoccurring agony and emotional distress that stuck in my heart regarding the just concluded gubernatorial elections re-run in Kano State. We often hear of democracy but I believe majority of Nigerians are somehow ignorant or confused of the actual concept. While some, I think don’t really understand the true meaning of a democracy. Democracy is a system of government that allows for free fair and credible election, given each and every qualified individual the right to exercise his or her franchise.
But what I fail to understand is if what just happened in Kano is really a democratic process or some sort of tyrannical system of exercising power over the masses against their will? The previous Kano gubernatorial elections that took place on the 9th of March, 2019, was declared inconclusive in some local governments being that there were some security challenges plus high incidents of violence and over-voting, therefore the election was cancelled in those affected wards, even though there weren’t any convincing evidence to justify that.
Another election was set to be carried out on the 23rd of March, 2019 for the Kano people to decide who to be their next leader, but consequently, the election was conducted with a high number of violence and voter-intimidation by thugs, various casualties have been reported from clashes, as many voters were even denied voting by thugs hired to disrupt the re-run elections in favour of the APC.
With these unfortunate events, any one can see that the basic ideals of democracy has been trespassed, abused and destroyed, and have not been entertained as it should. Yet, INEC who was given the sole independent power to decide the political end game acted in bias. The reports available from reliable media sources has justifies the stance that the incumbent APC was responsible for the catastrophic and precarious situations that rendered the lives of Kanawa at stake all in its hunger to retain power.
But in all these, Mr. President is to blame, for I doubt his integrity towards achieving a peaceful political atmosphere as far as Kano politics is concerned. I don’t want to emphasize much on this, but looking at the circumstances where the Presidency would delegate DIGs to Kano to monitor the security level of an election rendered high series of questions to ask; why Kano in particular, while about five to six other states were also carrying out the rerun supplementary election? Why did they post the current commissioner of police to a village and not given the full power to oversee the elections? Why is Mr. President silent over the massacre of some citizens of Kano? These are questions one is compelled to ask.
Looking at the types of leaders we have one is compelled to say our leaders need to be educated on what democracy truly is. I urge partisan politicians and non partisan to abstain from using their powers to oppress the masses for surely the days of reckoning are near and when that day comes, nobody can intercede for one’s rescue. Nigerians are fond of emulating the developed countries, why not, emulate and adhere to their principles of leadership and good governance? A leadership driven by justice and fair play. In the end, I say; to whom sense is given, positive rationality is expected.
Joda writes from Kaduna.
