By Kunle Oyatomi
There has been several interpretations given to June 12 election that was annulled by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida; but one that should interest those who are thinking about change for the better in Nigeria, has just been brought to lime-light by Professor Omo Omoruyi, who practically mid-wifed the June 12, 1993 election from the Centre for Democratic studies, CDS.

Last Sunday in the Vanguard, Prof. Omoruyi stated in clear terms why the June 12 election that was won by Chief M.K.O. Abiola was annulled.

According to the Professor, the free and fair election of that year dramatically changed the British design of Nigeria which gave permanent rulership of the country to the north. In that arrangement, the south had a subservient role as the many “wives” of the northern husband – (splitting up the south to be ruled over by the north).

However, with June 12 election that perception (which had become the norm) of a monolithic north imposing its rule on a fragmented south suddenly changed with M.K.O.’s victory.

The annulment of June 12 election therefore was to abort the change and retained our enslavement to the British through its northern proxy. This is the concept that Zoning was construed to preserve. Well, the learned professor thinks that “zoning is a figment of the north’s imagination.”

Lord Harcourt and the rest of the British colonialists who built this hopeless structure for Nigeria, however, knew what they were doing. And they have implanted that mentality on their proxy rulers of so-called independent Nigeria who are uptil this moment resistent to that change.

They introduced Obasanjo as their own (northern) proxy to side step the actual change brought by June 12. Quite unexpectedly for the north, Obasanjo became his own man, tried but failed to extend his tenure, then created confusion by returning power to a terminally ill Yar’Adua. The man died leaving an Obasanjo’s perceived proxy as President.

Now there is a dilemma. On balance, if Jonathan stands and wins a free and fair election in 2011, June 12 will have cropped up all over again.

Will we then have another annulled election by other means? Will the so-called north agree or accept the change? These are the real issues of 2011 which zoning is intended to prevent. Will it? Professor Omoruyi thinks it cannot.

Then what can? For me, dialogue is the answer – a critical dialogue through a Sovereign National Conference at which we will re-design Nigeria.

Otherwise, we may be on the road to Sudan. The choice is ours.

Oh! What a pathetic House

From day one, the National Assembly has been a house full of intriques, scandals and fracas. Only on Tuesday this week the House of Reps boiled over with members exchanging blows, and some of them being dragged out of the house before they were suspended. The show of shame as captured by TV cameras was indeed pathetic.

We call them “honourable members” but everything about that event was so dishonourable that watching the rowdy and violent event was like viewing a “roforofo” street fight in Lagos. It places the House in disrepute.

This is coming in the wake of already tense atmosphere of public anger at what the so-called honourable members were reported to be doing with Nigerian money, sharing it amongst themselves in the hundreds of millions whilst 70 percent of the country’s citizens are wallowing in abject poverty.

So that has become their principal  function. It is no longer the business of making laws that occupies the attention of the law makers; they are just out there sharing money and when the business of sharing goes wrong, they resort to the shameless street conduct of  fighting and thuggery.

Each time, there is problem in the House, you find there is the scandal of corruption behind it. This is not the character of decent and civilized community of people. It is the evidence of a chaotic assembly of people who are undeserving to sit in that hallowed chamber of the National Assembly. People are sick and tired of this corrupt mentality that drives affairs of state; and they seek change.  Can these people in the House effect the change that will move Nigeria forward? Most unlikely.

It is a good thing that the EFCC has stepped in to get to the bottom of the scandal that has sparked off the latest act of shame at the National Assembly.  What we expect however is a House Nigerians will be proud of. The country is completely disappointed by what is going on now.

The uncaring indulgence of members of the House, the undeserved luxury they give themselves, the sheer complacency with which they address national issues is absolutely bad for their image; yet they appear to be satisfied with it. They disgrace us as much as they disgrace themselves.

They ought to be called to their senses. The National Assembly is not a motor-park where “agberos” and drivers fight over money; it is a place for serious, intelligent, civilized and decent people who are conscious of their role as representatives of their various communities.

Each time I have cause to think about what goes on at the National Assembly I wonder how come we have the place so filled with people who should be elsewhere doing other things than wanting to make laws for this great but complex country.

I believe the political parties should do a lot more of screening of their candidates in the future so that better and more responsible people are presented for election. The process where the electorate are presented with sub-standard material should please stop. The disgrace we go through now should teach us a bitter lesson about who we must present as candidates for parliament.

Hopefully 2011 will produce an improvement to what we have in Abuja and elsewhere in the country today. If no change occurs, then we are in for greater problems. But we are sick and tired of these avoidable problems.