By Chris Ojeikere
Mahmoud Yakubu, boss of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has now become a perpetual apologist; and heading an institution of apologies.
After every election, Mallam Yakubu will apologize and claim to have learnt a lesson or two; just as he has done again about the Edo election. The only problem with that though, is that
the lessons he learns seem to be: how NOT to correct his errors. Also, every time he promises before a forth coming election of having learnt from the previous one, he doubles his errors in the new one. That is why I pity the voters in Ondo State, because, unfortunately, Professor Apologies has once again come out to say he learnt some lessons from the Edo September 21 election. By benefit of hindsight, that is usually a prelude to another electoral disaster for the opposition parties! We hope Ondo people would be vigilant on election day! Did I just say that? As if that availed anything in Edo election!
No words could be more worthless and vain than a “sorry” that does not correct the error you HAVE committed and still have the opportunity to correct but fails to! Your apology can only mean anything at all Mallam Mahmoud Yakubu, if Nigerians see you trying your best to correct your errors in Edo; as it is still possible to do! Your words mean nothing and your professed learnt lessons, a sardonic mockery, when you chose to commit new errors like disobeying clear court orders as you are doing now about the Edo election!
INEC has a huge burden and responsibility to ensure that the integrity of the technological devices that Nigerians advocated for, protested to government for, and insisted INEC got, are upheld and defended by the Commission. INEC has a responsibility to protect the BVAS machine and the IREV portal.
It is a phantom apology from Mallam Yakubu when to all intent and purposes INEC is refusing to protect its own BVAS machines used in the Edo State election, even when the courts has requested it to do so. INEC has shown clear bias in the way it conducted the Edo election. INEC chose to ignore its own uploaded results into its own IREV and chose to announce the results manufactured by Nyesom Wike’s Cousin, Anugbum Onuoha.
And to date, the only admission to the huge unexplainable and mysterious wonders of fraud that happened in September 21 election in about 1000 units in Edo State, is Mahmoud Yakubu’s acknowledgement of failure in result management in the Edo election. But fortunately for INEC, the Edo election is not over yet. INEC should now show sincerity of remorse and evidence of its ‘learning,’ by cooperating with the Tribunal’s order to secure the BVAS machine used during the Edo election. I understand that INEC is flouting that order with impunity; calling to questioning, the crocodile tears of apology by its Chairman.
Also, INEC should own up in Court during proceedings that it failed in Result management in Edo. And admit that it cannot therefore trust the announced results by Wike’s Cousin, REC Anugbum Onuoha. Why ? Because it differs from the one on INEC’S own IREV. Further, INEC should follow its own policy that holds that, if the result on the IREV is different from the one on paper, then the one on the IREV takes precedence!
Apology is good. Repentance is better. But Correction is the best. INEC has a Golden opportunity now to demonstrate the lessons learnt from the Edo election.
INEC does not want to throw Nigeria into anarchy. People are now apprehensive to leave their political fate in the hands of INEC. Nigerians are gradually spreading the word on the streets that in the past, it were politicians who rigged elections, while INEC tried to prevent them. But now, in this new INEC of Mahmoud Yakubu, INEC is now the one that rigs elections, while the opposition parties try to prevent it.
INEC’S Independence has progressively become independent of citizens votes. Independent of transparency and accountability, Independent of electoral sanctity. INEC’s bias and who pays the Piper attitude is creating tension in the land. INEC is fast outliving its usefulness. They sooner present anxieties, fear, huge doubts, than any semblance of fairness or confidence to voters. INEC has become the butts of jokes and cartoonists across the country. The last one I read; someone was bemoaning Arsenal football team’s performance in the Premier league, and remarked that the way Arsenal was going this season, it would require INEC’S help to win the Premier league.
If Mahmoud Yakubu is not embarrassed by these expressions of despondency by Nigerians about his new INEC, then, help us God!
ObeyCourtOrder#ProtectBVASmachine#RespectYourIREVresults
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