Yesterday, the 23rd day of August 2024, the Supreme Court of Nigeria legitimized what appears from facts available on records, an otherwise illegitimate electoral process that produced Ahmed Usman Ododo as governor of Kogi State. The facts of the fraudulent election that produced the Kogi State Governor were completely overlooked by the court because the witness that produced the BVAS machines demonstrated in open court, which records are there in the records of proceedings before the three tiers of court, did not frontload witness statements on oath and filed along with the petition.But this witness came from INEC upon orders of court which orders the trial Tribunal later in judgment set aside suo motu.
Note that INEC pursuant to orders of the Tribunal of 14th February 2024 made under paragraphs 41(1),(5), and (6) of the first schedule to the Electoral Act 2022, produced the BVAS machines that were used in the disputed five Local Governments of Okene, Okehi, Adavi, Ajaokuta and Lokoja LGAs. Note also that INEC authorised the witness that demonstrated the BVAS machines tendered and demonstrated with the codes to access the contents of the BVAS machines.
Let me congratulate the Nigerian judiciary for having the courage to overlook the facts of the electoral frauds and manipulations as seen on the records under legal technicalities to give judicial legitimacy to an otherwise fraudulent electoral processes that produced the Governor for the people of Kogi State. The essence of democracy is legitimacy derived from the sovereignty of people and not one man show as we see in the Nigerian brand of democracy that always get stamps of legitimacy from the institutions that have duties and responsibilities to checkmate illegitimate electoral processes.
Yesterday, the premises of the Supreme Court witnessed one of the processes used in the production of the governor that was affirmed as winner of the election of November 11, 2023, in Kogi State. Right under the nose and the hallowed premises of the Supreme Court yesterday was a clear case of the facts of barbaric conduct that produced the government that was legitimized by the Supreme Court.
The governorship candidate of SDP who pursued his grievances with courage of convinction through legitimate channels to the Supreme Court was mercilessly attacked by political hoodlums and hooligans.Nigerian security agencies were in the court premises.The attacks were done in their presence and under their watch.To date, no arrest had been made or a statement issued by the appropriate agency of government to show that the Nigerian government did not approve of that attack.
Nigerians are watching the unholy conspiracy against the sovereignty of Nigerians and democracy in Nigeria. The seeds of anti-democracy being sown will germinate. Those encouraging democratic barbarism will not be spared the wrath of justice from the one that delivers undiluted justice to all.
The deprived people are watching the way the compromised systems are forcing on the people those the people have rejected in the exercise of their civic responsibilities. As the late Dele Giwa put it, no evil done by man to man will go unpunished. If not now, certainly in the future.
For those who exercised their legal rights to approach the court to be attacked in the courts premises is a signal that our institution of justice is being disrespected and ridiculed. The attacks on SDP candidate should not be treated with levity. It must not be dismissed as the normal thing.
Nigerian Federal Government must not sit and watch the desecration of the Supreme Court by political thugs and criminals attacking those who approached our courts for remedies. That is the civilized thing to do.The justification of that attack by Kingsley Fawnon, the spokesperson for Kogi State government, speaks volumes.It shows how reckless some functionaries in the Kogi government have become.It also shows the thinking of the leadership of the Kogi State headed now by Ahmed Usman Ododo.
The governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo must come out to show that he is not in support of the barbaric attacks. Until then, it is safe to conclude that Kingsley Fawnon spoke on his behalf and at his instance.Whichever is the case the way we are going in Nigeria and given the seemingly conspiracies by the institutions of governance to legitimize an otherwise illegitimate processes, Nigerian democracy is heading to calamity.
Nigeria is on the road of perdition. The only way Nigerian democracy can be saved is for the Nigerian judiciary to stop ignoring facts of fraudulent electoral processes and not to give garment of legitimacy to otherwise illegitimate electoral processes that produced winners under flawed electoral processes.
