In an attempt to strengthen the country’s electoral system for votes to count ,the federal government introduced Bimodal Voting Accreditation System (BVAS), with the enabling laws for it to function effectively.
Among others, the idea is to achieve a free , fair and credible election in the country for a desired leader, by majority to emerge in any organ of the government.
President Ahmed Bola Tinubu had not hidden his administrative commitment to ensure that the electorate’s votes must count in the subsequents election in the country.
It was noticed that Mr , president as a man who believe in transparency and the rule of law, he had allowed the judiciary to observe its statutory duty by distancing himself from any form of intervention in ongoing cases at the governorship tribunals: Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states respectively.
This posture of Mr President which was a far cry from the previous administrations is seen as a positive move that will install credibility to the electoral process in the country; as such, he should be applauded in that direction.
To this effect, BVAS, CTC and IRev have been certified by the law of the land as election devices to checkmate the excesses of politicians who believe in winning election by impunity in the country.
In accordance with the aim, the governorship election in the 11th November 2023 in Bayelsa , Kogi and Imo are being subjected to legal scrutiny at the various governorship tribunals to confirm the legality of the declared winner of the off cycle elections held in these three states .
In its recent ruling over the allegation of rigging in an election in the country, the Apex court of the land, Supreme Court noted with clarity that only BVAS, CTC and form EC8A can prove the allegations of electoral malpractices in an event of election in the country.
That land mark judgement was applauded in different shades of public opinion and in the circle of the enlightened in the society.
The implications of BVAS enabling law centres on the numbers of accredited voters as the focus point , not the numbers of the registered voters in a polling unit in an event of election, which was the rule.
In that direction, the ongoing legal exercise of the results of the November 11th governorship election in kogi state via BVAS and other electoral devices is seen as in the right direction, as it’s within the ambit of the electoral law of the nation.
In the light of the above, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 11th November 2023 in kogi state , Muritala Ajaka who felt the said election was fraught with irregularities went to court for redress with tones of evidence to buttress his allegations.
The electoral umpire , Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) had declared Usman Ahmed Ododo , the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate in the said election as the winner.
Since the exercise stated at the Kogi state governorship tribunal via these electoral devices to prove the alleged rigging in the last governorship election in the state, kogites, nay Nigerians have given a thumb up to president Ahmed Bola Tinubu for his transparent leadership over his posture in on going cases at the tribunal.
However, the politicians are at it again, as the news making the rounds in the political air space in kogi state left much to be desired,as it may send in spanners to the ongoing smooth operation in the governorship tribunal sitting at Abuja .
It was reported recently that some tribal and regional political warlords are out to prevail on the power at the centre to circumvent the on going process to better their interest .
A chieftain of African Democratic Congress(ADC) who is the flag bearer of the party in the last governorship election, Hon. Leke Abejide is said to have been drafted by over ambitious political leaders to lead his kinsmen in the Okun axis of the state to the presidency to drum up support for a particular candidate whose election is being contested at the tribunal.
Although , Hon. Abejide have denied the move in that direction, it’s pertinent to note that any subterranean move to prevail on the tribunal to bend the rules to favour a particular candidate is a disservice to the people of the state and the country in general.
Again, the state is agog with the alleged move by the same ambitious politicians, allegedly plotting to involve the Royal fathers in the state in their bid to prevail upon the presidency to intervene on the electoral case before the tribunal at Abuja .
His Royal Majesty, Ata Igala, Alaji Mathew Opaluwa Akpa11 and other paramount rulers are being alleged to have been coaxed to play this ignorable role to feather the nest of the masterminds.
Also, a Minister of Steel Development, Alhaji Shaibu Abubakar Audu is said to be in the forefront of this move to arm-twist Mr president to break his avowed principle not to influence judges presiding on election cases at the tribunal, in any guise, to favour any candidate whose election is under litigation.
One may tend to ward off such news by a wave of hands ,but the state had a record where Royal fathers led by the chairman of Kogi state traditional council of chiefs , HRM, Micheal Idakwo Ame-Oboni 11 of the blessed memory had visited the presidential villa which turned out to be a mockery of the traditional institution of the land .
It was said the Royal fathers were made to play a role to better the interest of the facilitators of the visit which was at variance with the issues sold out to them before they embarked on the journey.
The implication and aftermath of that particular coaxed visit to Aso Rock led by the late Royal Majesty of Igala kingdom at the heat of 2019 electioneering can best be said by the elders and stakeholders of the Igala nation
It was on that basis that alleged planned visit of the state Royal fathers to Aso Rock is generating an unprecedented uproar across the state , particularly in the east flank, as the heat of the legal tussle over the last governorship election in the state is all time high at the tribunal.
The Igala ethic nationality, in particular are viewing it as another ploy to hoodwink and ridicule their much cherished revered traditional Royal father and ancestral stool. A price they are not ready to pay any longer.
Besides, it was noted greatly that there is grumbling in the land over certain decisions and indecisions by the expired government led by Alhaji Yahaya Bello; making some aggrieved to describe his tenure as a hollow ritual of comic , but caustic tragedy on their dare state .
For instance, many people are yet to come to terns on how the state collective wealth was expended by the out gone administration; the vexed issue of use and dump syndrome of leaders , deposition and suspension of paramount rulers and lopsidedness of appointments and projects distributions, including stocking the state civil service with one particular ethnic tribe.
The alleged mobilisation of vested stakeholders and Royal fathers to visit Aso Rock to garner support for Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo whose validity of election is being scrutinised at the tribunal is like putting the horse before the cart.
The ex- governor Bello and his kinsman governor should strive to produce a conducive atmosphere in the state where mutual love and understanding should take a centre stage in the current atmosphere of ethnic strife created by his administration.
The co -travellers of this idea should come to their sense and initiate a reconciliatory process to bring aggrieved together in a round table discussion where the issues tearing the state apart are discussed and trashed on its merit in the spirit of togetherness and sense of belonging.
We therefore appeal to governor Yahaya Bello, governor Ododo and their cohorts to keep president Ahmed Bola Tinubu and highly respected paramount rulers out of kogi governorship election for peace to reign in the state .
The judiciary should therefore be left to do their duty in consonance with the rule of laws for the actual winner of kogi state governorship election held on 11th November to emerge in the atmosphere of legal decorum.
By Comrade Danjuma Ibrahim
The chairman of Kogi Youth Frontier for Good Governance (KYF)
