By Eric Teniola

This is the concluding part of the piece on Dr. Joseph Wayas  which was first published two years ago.  The first instalment was published last week in the light of his death on Thursday December 2, 2021

WE have both travelled to various capitals in the world. A few hours before the army struck on December 31, 1983, I saw him at Heathrow Airport in London on his way to New York. He was in exile for years thereafter before returning home, but was later incarcerated at Kirikiri Prison, Lagos.

I recollected the good times we had together and seeing him in his Asokoro residence all by himself, I imagined how time and age changes a man. Another election, which achieved the status of free and fair election, was the one of 1979, which ushered in the Republican Constitution.

That election has its criticism of the “twelve and two thirds” palaver. In all cases of our elections, there have been allegations of rigging and thuggery, which characterised our electoral process. 

Recently he presented a paper on lessons from past elections, which was was presented at a workshop held in Abuja. The contents of the paper might be useful now that the election is just some months away.

I hereby reproduce the paper at that workshop: “Since independence from Britain in 1960, Nigeria has undergone a series of elections. Democracy can very well be said to have gained it rout from our very first election, when our leaders and representatives were elected to take over governments from the colonialists.

Our experiment, therefore, cannot be said to be without pains, which most nations suffer. Initially we undergo marginal struggle. In the Nigerian context, our elections since independence have always been filled with crises, disagreed results that in some cases result in violence.

Thus, to be fair, it is courageous to say that the only free and unquestionable election was organised by the British to usher in Independence. Another election, which achieved the status of free and fair election, was the 1979 election, which ushered in the Republican Constitution. That election has its criticism of the ‘twelve and two thirds’ palaver. In all cases of our elections, there have been allegations of rigging and thuggery, which characterised our electoral process.

“The military have always used turbulent elections characterised by thuggery, criminal burning and killing of both innocents and opponents… In the Nigerians experience, the military have always accused the politicians of lack of good government and election malpractices.

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As a result, they claimed, among other things, such as economic mismanagement to take over the running of power. When comparing the Nigerian Armed Forces with the armed forces of the other third world emerging countries, you will find that while in some of these countries the situation may be worse than that of Nigeria, their military have not taken the management of their nation from politicians.

Rather, they invite the opponent party leaders to take over, thereby insulating their military from political governance, while they concentrate on providing professional services, maintaining the roles of defending their country and carrying out other duties that uphold the Constitution of their country.

It is, therefore, imperative that when we talk about lessons from the past elections in Nigeria, we cannot but help to mention the few moments we have been privileged to hold elections within the time of our independence.

(A) 1964 election was characterised with the crisis in the Western Region between Chief S. L. Akintola and Chief Obafemi Awolowo that gradually engulfed the whole nation, leading to the first military intervention.

(B) The 1979 election which went through smoothly, but had problem with the twelve and two thirds mathematical arguments.

(C) The 1983 election should have been one of the best elections conducted by us. Again, the conflict in the West between a governor, Chief Adekunle Ajasin as candidate for the governorship and his one time deputy governor, Chief Akin Omoboriowo, started the conflict that could have nearly spread but for the astute handling of the situation by President Shehu Shagari.

“I still hold a strong view that the so-called take over by the military in December of that year has no connection with the electoral crisis or economic handling of the nation as proclaimed by the military.

On the contrary, I hold the view that it was an act of some group of overzealous army officers. However, we have come a long way and should put these episodes behind us and move forward to the future with optimism.

(D) I will categorise the election of 1992 and others that followed during the military rule, as a total fiasco, waste of public funds and we shall never again allow this undemocratic forces to rear their heads any more on our soil. The elections themselves were fraudulent, manipulative and inconclusive — as those who planned them were themselves insincere about their own transition programmes.

(E) The 1999 elections are our smoothest election so far. Basically Nigerians had two candidates to choose from and the candidates were from the same geographical zone and the ball, there, was in the court of the Western zone. No wonder the country witnessed less election crisis. However, with the assassination of the federal attorney general, Chief Bola Ige, and the usual ‘kata-kata’ in the West, we should be careful.

“It is imperative to mention that in all these election results, court actions followed disputes of rigging and master riggings. If there are lessons that must be learnt they that we must learn to accept defeat when we lose in an election, and accept victory where election is won, even if is controversial. After all, the authors of democracy put time frame for re-election. So let us develop the attitude of the winner and the loser determining to work together for peace and prosperity of our great country, Nigeria”.

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