By @brotherbarth
1. In the 2023 presidential election, the hopes of Nigerians, especially her youths have never before in history been so enkindled by the assurance that the use of technology to aid the elections as stipulated in the new (revised) electoral law will make it possible for them to elect the President of their choice. This hope became seriously deflated when INEC, Nigeria’s election umpire reneged in applying this technology, but still went ahead to announce a winner of the election, that up till this moment, no one can tell not even INEC itself, how it computed the results. Nigerians have remained broken since the declaration because what was announced was against their will as expressed at the ballot. Now, if this anomaly is not corrected, Nigeria and Nigerians remain exposed to suffer severe and irreparable harm. 200 million people!
2. As the results of that election was contested in the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), Nigerians looked forward that the court will right the wrongs of INEC. Sadly, the ruling of the PEPC turned to further sink the hope of Nigerians. Presently some of the ludicrous judgement of the PEPC is already causing havoc to societal values at the sub-national Election Petition Courts. Just yesterday, one of the Courts gave a judgement that saw nothing wrong with forgery, yes, forgery! Of course, this judgement took a clue from the PEPC ruling. Now, if this anomaly is not corrected, Nigeria and Nigerians remain exposed to suffer severe and irreparable harm. 200 million people!
3. Bad and amoral leadership has been causing Nigeria great damages, sorrows, tears, and blood. As I write, Nigerians are mourning and awaiting the autopsy report of the exhumed body of a 27-year-old Nigerian music artist whose unholy death could have been avoided if leadership exist in Nigeria. Now, more than ever, Nigerians wants to get leadership right, so that the scenario of the death of this 27-year-old young Nigerian (Mohbad), will never again occur. Now, if this objective of electing the desired good leadership is being seriously prevented by callous politicians. Should this be allowed to continue, then Nigeria and Nigerians remain exposed to suffer severe and irreparable harm. 200 million people!
4. Jennifer Edifi (see cover image), an Nigerian woman knowing the grievous and irreparable damages that continued existence of bad leadership especially at the Presidential level cause Nigeria, set out early to her polling unit in Lagos to cast her vote on that February 25, 2023, presidential election. Jenifer was brutally attacked that she narrowly escaped losing her sight. Jennifer was attacked by thugs hired by politicians that wants to stop her from voting because they were convinced she wasn’t going to vote for their choice candidate. Now, if this beastly behaviour is not condemned by ensuring that such leadership as intended by those brutes do not hijack and hold on to power, then Nigeria and Nigerians remain exposed to suffer severe and irreparable harm even in future elections. 200 million people!
5. Over 70 Nigerians were killed during the 2023 general elections by thugs and hoodlums hired by desperate and callous politicians who wanted to come to power at all costs. Certainly, if the errors of this 2023 elections that led to the death of 70 are not corrected, Nigeria will not have to contend with death of 70 in the next election cycle, but that of 70 times 7. What could expose Nigeria and Nigerians to more severe and irreparable harm? 200 million people!
6. Since the Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election results was announced the country has remained sad, the hopes of the people dashed, but the worst of the pains was that the beneficiaries of the unwelcomed results boldly told Nigerians – 200 million people, represented by opposition political parties: “if you don’t like the results you can go to court”. Now, when the cheater tells you to go to court, you’d need no one to tell you that you are very likely to be cheated in the court also. And true to everyone’s guess, the PEPC most unconscionable judgement leaves no one in doubt that some unholy influence may have been wielded. Now, if this abuse of rule of law is not corrected, Nigeria and Nigerians remain exposed to suffer severe and irreparable harm. 200 million people!
7. It will be ridiculous that the need to satisfy a reasonably unfounded request that releasing the academic record of one individual will make him suffer grievous and irreparable damage should have preference over causing 200 million people to suffer even much more severe and irreparable harm.
8. Again, how can anyone who claimed to have excellent academic records turn around to say that making such excellent record public will cause severe and irreparable harm. This clearly does not make sense. Even if one has a very poor academic result, the consequences of it being exposed to the public could be anything but certainly not a severe and irreparable harm, unless such individual had lied about it, and through the lies earned a position that his pride, life and livelihood is dependent on. In such case the honourable thing to do will be to actually expose the lies and save the society from the impending danger of having an unqualified person in position he shouldn’t be.
May God bless the United States of America.
May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
