By Clement Udegbe

Sometimes it is not enough that we do our best; we must do what is required

—–Winston Churchill

IN eight days time, we will vote to decide who leads us for the next four years, and that decision may choose which way we head to as a nation; whether we will continue to grow, or slip into confusion that may consume the nation. Thank God, for the Shift in date for who knows where we would have been by now, with our level of unpreparedness, in spite of the deception by the elections umpire!

2015 elections have exposed how distressed we have become to watchful Nigerians. It has for example shown the games that many public commentators played with us in times past, and have confirmed that our leaders actually think that we only look as a people and cannot see. Why else would GMB include in his contract with Nigeria, to bring back Chibok girls? Does he really know where the girls are kept?

I think he doesn’t. If he knew where they were, all this while, with all the troubles and killings that has trailed their abduction, then he really does not care and should not be trusted with our votes. Should a man who wants to rule Nigeria not commend the recent sustained successes of our military in the fight against insurgency, certificate or no certificate?

The elections have also shown the power and failure of propaganda,from tearing of membership cards, to a presidential telephone call that never took place between GEJ and Moroccan King but is blown into a diplomatic row, while all the information in the internet about the wealth accumulated in Lagos state by key opposition leaders have been hushed down. Not even a skating comment from our usual legal luminaries, academicians, and public affairs analysts.

We have seen the power of ethnic jingoists, and the prayers of all sorts of interests by clerics, some selfish, self-aggrandizing, and highly manipulative. People, even clerics, don’t draw lines anymore. All put together, elections 2015 have exposed how people lie, cheat, and agglomerate to achieve their selfish goals, from politicians to professionals. Our politicians have also taken propaganda to ludicrous levels, even to accuse GEJ of being responsible for robberies that took place in Lagos recently, as Governor Fashola did.

It then implies that the president is responsible for Lagos perennial traffic snarl, the road accidents, the impassable roads in Alaba International Market, Okota, Ejigbo, Iyana-Oba, Ojo, and Agege, to name a few; the selective release of PVCs to non-indigenes in Oshodi, Ejigbo, Ojo, and Ajegunle areas and all the failure of the Lagos State Government.If indeed, GEJ is responsible for all these, we should vote for his party to rule Lagos State, so as to remove hindrances which LASG under APC has become!

The President’s wife, recently reacted to all the bad names they have been calling her and her husband since election campaigns kicked off, when she told her listeners to stone them, when they visit for votes. Opposition quickly and as usual have piled up their propaganda marching to ICC.They wish to beat up a woman’s husband and expect her not to react. The ICC prosecutor does not seem to be resisting the urge to appear biased, and judging from the reported comments and warnings of the ICC Prosecutor, there is cause for concern.

If the legal maxim that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands, should apply, Governor Amaechi’s hands are soiled, and cannot therefore be the right person to sign such a petition, because it was him who threatened that they would form a parallel government if they lost the 2015 elections. There is no greater assault so far, on our constitution and democracy than such a comment. It is up to GEJ to file a counter petition, and Dame Patience Jonathan to cry to her fellow women’s constituencies to rally their support, and help reject GMB and his co-travellers come 28th March.

Any person including the ICC prosecutor, who is genuinely interested in a violence free elections in Nigeria should spend quality time with Prof. Atahiru Jega of INEC, as he is the only person who can prevent violence by conducting a free, fair and credible elections. All well intentioned attention must be given to INEC now for the following reasons;

First,more Nigerians especially the youth are interested in voting this time than in all the previous elections, and to disenfranchise these people is the sure way to violence.

The ways to avoid violence will be for INEC to sort out their PVC release issues in the various zones. If as reported, up to One Million PVCs are yet to arrive, there is a big problem! Second, is the Card Reader Devil.

With an average failure rate of over 58 percent of the Card Readers in key northern states like Kano, Katsina, Nasarawa, Taraba,Bauchi, and Plateau states,the supposed strong holds of both PDP and APC, INEC will land us in trouble if they do not come up with a Plan B, which ought to include the use of TVCs verifiable with thumb prints as any paper work as being contemplated is prone to rigging, and violence.

Third, and most importantly, INEC said, that they were ready by February 14, to conduct elections, but we have now seen, that they were ready, but not for a free fair and credible elections. INEC is prescribing limits for the involvement of the military knowing that absence of the military close to polling boots will allow situations that may cause serious breaches and lead to violence.They said they are not ethnic jingoists, but facts have spoken.

They said they would resign once they felt not wanted,but rather than resign with all the protests, they have now realized they have a job to do, yes, but INEC must agree that they are not military strategists, and should just face the PVC and Card reader confusion which they introduced, to ensure that we are not plunged into violence for their failures.