The All Progressive Congress Party (APC) mouths “change” as its major mantra; they claim that their primary mission is to institute change, and also to reinforce the people’s belief in workable democracy; they said their vision is a Nigeria where the rule of law prevails over dark forces, over corruption, unfairness and injustice.
But today, June 12, the very day that the nation is trying to atone for the rape of democracy when the freest election was conducted and the winner denied, the APC choose this day—of all days—to massacre the very act of restitution the nation is trying to enforce; the message they have sent out is that we have learnt nothing. The message by ignoring the implications of disqualifying Mr. Godwin Obaseki from contesting his constitutional rights at this time of national remembrance is that we are all pretenders; there is no repentance.
Since the emergence of the APC on the national scene the only evidence of their governance is the overwhelming supremacy of powerful individuals over their constitution; these individuals hold sway and manage to control the treasury of the States under their jackboot. They are adept at manipulation, arm twisting and even peddling outright lies. Through their supreme grip and over bearing attitude against the powerless States, they subjugate our hard earned democracy to rubble, create fear, intimidation and hunger.
Since June 12 1993, more than 27 years ago, the action of these individuals in the Nigerian Politics have only largely stagnated the country. Those at the top may pretend, but the truth is clear: the nation is in peril. Honor and integrity is lost; The place of hard work, honesty in the generation of growth have been overturned by sheer greed, avarice and brigandage; The basis for Obaseki’s disqualification is alleged certificate forgery; but those who masterminded this evil act are also guilty of the same thing—if not on a larger scale.
This is not Obaseki’s loss; it is a mockery of our hard earned democracy and a desecration of the real intention of June 12 Day celeb. Sadly, the “tomorrow” that we so much hoped for; the tomorrow that the late titans like Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello the Nnamdi Azikiwe’s –real democrats—has now obviously been rubbished.
A situation where the courts cannot adjudicate; where the rule of the law counts for nothing except the whims and caprice of the overlords; this is not the democracy we yearn for; where a people’s vote no longer counts…not even the intervention of fellow governors and the hue and cry of the electorate could save the situation. June 12! What a memorable day. 27 years after, we are now seeing another violent denial of another Nigerian rights. I can only shake my head at the massive implication of this drama.
