By Yinka Odumakin
BUT for the last minute wade-in by President Muhammadu Buhari ahead of last Saturday re-run elections in Rivers State that elections are not “do-or-die” affairs ,we would by now be concluding that the sad quote of former President Olusegun Obasanjo has become an official state policy in Nigeria.

As the long delayed election were hours away a lot of chieftains of the ruling party stormed Port Harcourt to campaign for their party which is normal in a democracy.  Except that save for a few of the leaders of the party who displayed maturity in their utterances, other prominent leaders of the party were quite reckless in their speeches making one  wonder if these were not the same people railing against the use of solders to conduct elections two years ago.

Firing the salvo was the National Chairman of the Party, Chief Odigie Oyegun, a 77-year old former Permanent Secretary, ex-Governor and potential statesman.The man who could not win his polling unit during the governorship election in his Edo State recently said:

“As you can see, we came in full force; the whole federal might is here. We have the governors here today. Our senators and other members of the National Assembly are here today. Our women leaders are here today to pass one message.

“That is because we respect you, our members in Rivers State. We respect the courage of our members in Rivers State; we are behind you. We want to let you know that we have heard your cries; we have seen your anguish.

Chief Oyegun

“The message is simple: enough is enough, enough is enough. This is the beginning of the rescue mission in Rivers State.”

“We now have a blood-thirsty regime  in Rivers State. I am glad with what I am hearing: if they push you, push them. If they slap you,slap them back.If they snatch a result sheet, snatch it back.”

He was followed by former Governor of the state and current Minister of Transport Mr. Rotimi Amaechi who was equally fiery .

He said: “This is the election of our lives. Before, I used to tell you, please, don’t fight. What I will tell you today is do not kill anybody but do not get killed. My friend in the army says if you hear the sound of a gun, it is not meant for you. The implication therefore is that if you allow them to shoot, you will die.

“It is not only them that have the right to life, you also have a right to life. I don’t want to hear that they shot me and took away result sheets. If they take result sheets from you, collect it back from them. You know I have never said anything like this before.”

The chairman of the party’s campaign committee and Governor of Kano State, Mohammed Ganduje concluded the vicious session with a charge to their members not to hesitate to shoot back if their opponents shot at them.

It is said that statesmen look at the next generation while politicians are fixated on the next elections. It should not be difficult to place these prominent Nigerians and their fixation as they set aside all the niceties that should be associated with their positions to carelessly beat the drum of war instead of holding up the banner of awe and order.

Ironically, where they  incited  their supporters to see what should be a sports-like contest as a  practical war having taken all “the might of the Federal Government ” to  Rivers State,the rumoured  “degraded” and later “partially defeated” Boko Haram went on rampage in Adamawa and Borno state killing scores of our citizens and wounding dozens of them.

Mum has been the word from officials who didn’t take the admonition of Amilccar Cabral who said: ” Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, failures. Claim no easy victories ”

While the Boko boys were drinking blood in Adamawa and Borno,the blood of innocent citizens were being spilled in Rivers last week in the elections of the lives of our power mongrels.

The Guardian of Sunday, December 11, 2016 reported of an ugly incident in Bodo,Gokana Local Government  as follows :  “While voting was going on peacefully, security personnel dressed in black stormed the unit in three white Hilux vehicles and started shooting sporadically. As the guns boomed, hundreds of voters at the venue scampered for safety. Within a few minutes, the secondary school was completed deserted by voters.  This paved way for the security personnel to cart away some of the electoral materials.

They left in their trail, broken ballot boxes, thumb-printed ballots papers littering all over the place.The security men then drove to State School Bodo polling station in Ward 2, where they also shot sporadically and in the process shot dead a 25-year-old man identified as Mr. Meebari Kormaga.”

Vanguard of the same day quoted  the General Officer Commanding 6th Division, Nigerian Army Port Harcourt, Major General Kasimu Abdulkarim of giving more gory details of occurrence of violence during elections while denying the untoward roles soldiers were alleged to have played during the polls.

“Several shooting were recorded in some communities such as Bodo, the home town of the secretary to the State Government, B-dere and Mogho in Gokhana LGA, including snatching of ballot boxes.

“The most brutal incidence occurred at Ujju Community near Omoku in Onelga where police patrol team was ambushed. In the ambush, 10 policemen scampered into the bush. “The Mobile Police organised a rescue mission. Regrettably, the team discovered that DSP Alkali Mohammed of Mobile Police Unit 48 was beheaded along with his orderly.

“The patrol vehicle was taken away with weapons, three policemen escaped while five were missing in action. “This is the same area where soldiers of 34 Brigade were ambushed on 20 November 2016 where a soldier was killed. Also on 21 November 2016, four personnel of NSCDC were killed and their weapons carted away. “These attacks are reasonable evidence of violations of breach of law and order which portray the area as a flash point.

“Despite this barbarism; soldiers acted with civility and professionally guaranteeing peaceful election. “Nigerian Army as a respected institution with constitutional responsibility to safeguard lives and property, could not watch miscreants and hoodlums abducting, maiming and killing innocent citizens especially in senseless attacks on uniform personnel”

While we wait to have full picture of the casualties recorded during the warfare in Rivers State,one must express worry at what our politicians are turning electoral contests to in this unsettled polity.

It is important we restate again the need to restructure Nigeria in a  way that the might of government should only be available on Election Day to provide security for ALL citizens and not a partisanship that some politicians would boast they carry about .

Congratulating Oonirisa @1

ALL roads led to the ancient city of Ile Ife this last week as the Oonirisa,Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi marked his first year on the throne of his ancestors.It is just one year on the throne and it looks as if Kabiyesi had been here for a decade as he came well prepared for the throne and a right man for the moment when the Yoruba nation yearns for a new direction.

In just one year, he has set a new standard  for royal engagement by stepping out of his throne to visit other stools that have largely been seen to be at war with the source. The nobility of his spirit has removed all the airs that should stand between him and the need to take concrete steps towards Yoruba unity by taking such bold steps for peace.

It was on record that in 1904 when the Governor -General invited the Ooni to Lagos to testify whether the Elepe was among Yoruba Oba who could wear crowns following a petition by the Akarigbo,all Yoruba Oba vacated their throne until the Ooni returned to Ile-Ife.The Kabiyesi turned his back to the Governor as he addressed him.

Where political leadership has failed,Oonirisa has filled the void through his giant stride in facilitating empowerment projects for young people who were becoming forlorn.The latest of such being the N1b SME programme he recently signed an MOU with the Bank of Industry, BOI.

It was fun being at the Palace Ground in Ife last Saturday at the grand finale of the celebration where the President  Muhammadu Buhari was represented by Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Governors Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State,and Dr. Willie Obiano were not left out. The Chief of Defence Staff,General Olonisakin joined royal guests like Etsu Nupe,Obi of Onitsha,Olubadan of Ibadan,Osemawe of Ondo, Deji of Akure, to be part of the day.

Icons of Yorubaland like Chief Ayo Adebanjo,Prof. Banji Akintoye, Chief Alex Duduyemi and a host of others  added colour to the occasion.

The high point of the occasion for me was the  soul-stirring performance by students of Pacceli School for The Blind,28 of whom are currently on scholarship from Oba Ogunwusi. The school also boasts of the best student in JAMB this year.

We can only wish Kabiyesi many more years of celebrations in glory and good health with the best wishes for him and his Olori.