By Sunny Ikhioya

A LOT has been written about the drama that took place in Adamawa State; and how the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Hudu Yunusa Ari, took it upon himself, to announce fake election results while collation was still in progress. It was the kind of scene scripted from a Nollywood movie, but in this case, it was real live-action, performed in front of a global television audience.

The audacity is mind-boggling. What could have been the motivation for Mr. Ari, someone who belongs to the supposed learned profession? With the stories going around town, can we sincerely say that what happened in Adamawa is a reflection of the entire 2023 elections? 

What happened in Adamawa is a testament to how easily a society can fall into decay if strong institutions are not in place. The will of the people was tested, and the politicians, as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, acted promptly to put the whole shenanigans to rest. The general perception of people was that there shouldn’t have been a rerun in the first place, but a corrupted REC was determined to subvert due process and impose the candidate of his choice. Thank God, the people were very alert to defend their votes. 

I have always made the point that a determined people can never be manipulated in an election process, unless they choose to be in cahoots with their leaders willingly. What will make this REC display such a high disregard for due process? Some people must have been beating the drums for him, maybe, with the promise of the reward of a higher calling, with the active connivance of the security chieftains in the state.

The whole drama was not necessary, the rerun was to signify the end of the 2023 February/March elections. Everyone was busy looking forward to it and its aftermath, now that the court option is available. As I write, it is claimed that over 500 petitions have been filed against the outcomes of the elections, which stands as a record  in our land. It is not clear if the other candidate, Senator Aishatu Binani, will go to court, but as it is, the waves of support she had garnered in the course of the election process, seem to have whittled down considerably. 

It is a lesson for politicians and for people generally: be careful with the manner in which you meander your way to the top, the smooth and wide road is not always the best option. Instead of praise and glory, as a brave woman who dared to tread the path of strong men, she is now being regarded as a cheat who tried to cut corners to achieve her ambition. Although, she has denied complicity in the whole saga, people are not impressed or convinced, especially given the manner she hurriedly went to the press to deliver an acceptance speech. It was a mockery of our democratic process, and not a few people were embarrassed by her action. 

Why was the REC so emboldened to take the action that he took? Some people say that it was a deliberate plan by the ruling party to ridicule the leading opposition candidate, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on his own turf. Beating Atiku in his state will really be the  proof that the ruling party has the people’s support across the land, and that would have dealt a final blow to Atiku’s ambition and all of the challenges he posed to the ruling party. It would have been seen that the ruling party won, fair and square. But, are all of these necessary in a true democracy?

That is the question our politicians, leaders and rulers need to find answers to. Before now, we were at a stage where elections were conducted and everyone accepted the results in good faith: losers congratulating winners and winners behaving magnanimously. Sadly, we have not seen this happen in the elections just conducted; in fact, the biles spewing forth are getting stronger; the winners are rubbing it in on the losers, and so, everyone is running to the courts. 

Will the court decisions legitimise all the questionable victories? We will wait and see. By May 29, 2023, someone new will be sworn in as the President of Nigeria, and we wish him well. However, the most important take-away of the whole Adamawa saga is the victory of strong institutions over strong men. It is time to make our institutions work in this country. Muhammadu Buhari is viewed as a strong man today because he occupies the office of President of Nigeria. He is occupying an office that comes with its own guidelines and responsibilities. If the guidelines are followed scrupulously, it will be difficult for people to fault his decisions and actions.

The problem is when the rules guiding the conduct of the office are subverted, and this is general for all institutions we have in place in Nigeria. We prefer strong men to strong institutions, and as a result, we worship our fellow human beings. INEC was able to use the powers conferred on it to reach a decision on the Adamawa case, and that was how chaos was averted in the land. If it had stood firmly on the rules and followed procedures as it earlier promised the people, ‘go to court’ would not be the mantra that it has become in our land today. 

With the right institutions, we will be able to get our democracy right. INEC officials used the powers of their office to decide the Adamawa election, this was not the case in many of the states where flagrant disregard for rules and due process were exhibited. It is also a good thing everyone, including the President, condemned the election hijack that took place in Adamawa State. The president-elect and every top opinion commentator in the land also toed the same path. The offices and institutions are properties of the people, you are only elected or appointed into positions on behalf of the people, and your occupation of that office is time-bound. 

You must try to uphold the tenets of the institution you represent whenever you are privileged to be in that position. Man comes and goes, but institutions remain; they are permanent, and how they benefit the people depends on the actions of men in positions of trust. Looking ahead, it is hoped that INEC will put the lessons learned into future elections, that is: allow the institutions to work outside of individual sentiments. 

Ikhioya wrote via southsouthecho