THE APRIL CONSPIRACY

... Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable. -John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

I have thought of handing out this article well before now but for other engagements and my decision to allow the process go without making comments, it is just happening now.
Clearly, in the history of our democracy spanning the last twelve years, the enthusiasm shown this year can only match what we recorded during the June 12, 1993 elections. Many organisations have rolled out different degrees of platform to monitor elections, give voice to the electorates and also admonish the masses on the need to vote. The involvement of the international community in terms of human resources deployed and financial support cannot but further confirm the readiness of the good people of Nigeria to see the process through and ensure the freeness and fairness we have been promised.

On Thursday, March 31st, 2011, apart from the fact that the INEC chairman continuously assured Nigerians how set the commission was for the election, materials were set to have also arrived on the same day by noon. This same assurance was broadcasted on Friday, heightening the hope of the masses.

On Saturday, April 2nd, 2011 mid way into the process of accreditation and voting in some other places, rumours started flying that elections have been postponed in some areas, Plateau and Gombe were the first names to go round. While there were no given reasons as to why this was so, a twitter message by INEC, inecnigeria, read “NO CANCELLATION OF IN NIGER, GOMBE, BENIN OR ANY STATE AT ALL. PLEASE IGNORE THE RUMORS.” at about 11am. Another one read, “There will be an official statement made by the chairman of INEC PLEASE BE PATIENT.” at about some minutes to 12 noon.

Lo and behold, the INEC Chairman came on air to announce the cancellation and postponement of the National Assembly Elections by 48 hours.

To set the facts straight, Prof. Jega displayed a rare level of decency to have admitted the faults were that of the INEC and appealed to Nigerians, and that was enough for a lot of people to give him a pat on the back and hopefully wait for a better turnout on Monday.

While that must be noted, I strongly feel such event tells too many tales to be overlooked as a result of admittance of fault. By dictates of common sense, what the Prof did is what he should have done; if for the reasons that we have a system where morals walk on its head with the legs up, Prof. Jega should be pardoned, then anyone can as well carry out his evil deeds and then take responsibility.

Certain questions need to be asked and answers provided. What stopped this broadcast from coming on the night of Friday, April 1st, 2011? It probably in the Prof’s wisdom would have passed for an april fool’s joke. If election materials did not arrive the country as at Friday night, I have reasons to feel the hesitation of the INEC chairman to have made the pronouncement there and then waters down the moral noise his admittance was expected to generate.

I would have expected him to meet with party leaders and representatives to discuss the situation and have them all seat at the press briefing rather than plunge the country into such a huge embarrassment.

Second, does it occur to the INEC and indeed Mr. President who termed this as one of the sacrifices we have to make to ensure a free process, how much this country is losing for the wasted days? How much the international community have lost? How much the Nigerian traders have lost? It probably doesn’t matter to them; afterall, the budget of the INEC in the first instance seems to have emerged from the heavens always in round figures.

I also have to ask how Mr. Chairman arrived at the date he communicated to us. What does he intend to change or effect within 48hrs? Can we by now anticipate delay on Monday as I really haven’t come to understand how INEC intends to get materials across the country in a short time? Did the chairman take time to consider the effect of logistics on parties participating in the process? Do all these add up to an issue to waive aside because Prof. Jega did the logical thing? I would argue in the negative.

Have we quickly forgotten Mrs. Ayoka, the godly staff and the Resident Commissioner at the Ekiti State election rerun who later turned her back at her own very words? There is always a way to appeal to public sympathy as a premise to perpetuate a bigger fraud.

In my little experience dealing with people, I have come to realise that the best way to kill the morals of people is to push it to its height and then betray expectations; this is exactly what the INEC is doing and I am forced by this reasoning to see the INEC Chairman as part of a bigger picture of electoral fraud.

It would be my joy that I am proved wrong and that would be for the good of the nation. The implication of such cancellation would either be that people would not bother turning out on Monday, April 4th hence, making the process of rigging a little convenient or if the brains behind this scheme would be unlucky, people would push harder and come out in their numbers to make sure they actually vote and see this process through. Whichever way it goes, we need to then be mindful of the antics of these who also would have various plans for any outcome.

The people have shown great interest in this process and it would take a very high level of ingenuity to rig, this cancellation has a semblance of such genius. Whet the appetite of the people with promises of a free process and flaunt your credentials, raise their hopes, betray it and then take responsibility.

The chain is quite simple but the psychological implication of it is far reaching. The leadership of INEC would have to work wonders to convince Nigerians it is not an electoral arm of the ruling party. The ease with which Mr. President tagged the cancellation as a sacrifice leaves yet another mark of mendaciousness; he even asserted that he had to rush back, so funny!
It should be on record that if things keep going this way, we are simply headed for a crisis situation which clearly, our current crop of leaders don’t appear to be capable of handling. We are yet to receive any report on the various bombings and other crises across the country. All these too prepare a good ground for the leadership of this country to call off the whole elections on the grounds of security.

This is where we are but we all can make a decision as to where we want to get to. It is unarguably frustrating but then we need to keep pushing to make our impact felt. We need to go out en masse as demonstrated today to get accredited and cast our votes to make rigging very impossible for these elements. If we don’t, for whatever reason we want to give, we can as well kiss the next eight years good bye and look farther beyond.

We don’t have to wait for people to march out on the street before we start taking actions, the deeds of this government is likely to throw us into rounds of civil war if it is not confronted head on.

Prof. Jega for all I care has not disappointed me; he has on the contrary made me appreciate the fact that human beings like every other creation of the most Supreme are unstable and prone to change whether for the good or otherwise. Past credentials might be enough to make people invest little respect but the true respect is that which we live to earn everyday; that is what explains who we truly are.

I might be wrong as I have earlier stated but I seem to be comfortable coming from behind to get to see the good side of things than having my hope raised like the Prof just did. This man is yet another agent of the April Conspiracy.

STOP PRESS:

This article was about going to press when Prof Attahiru Jega again announced that elections previously slated for tomorrow have been postponed again for another few days and would now hold on the 9th of April, this should have been the right step after the last embarrassment.

I would save that for another day. From my blackberry, someone asked if it would be safe to make Prof. Jega your wedding planner; I for one would not. He is likely to postpone it when I am about to answer Yes, I do!!!

God Bless Nigeria.