By Abdulrasheed Akogun
I’ve seen comments mainly dictated by partisan divides flying around on the social media for the past 24 hours with regards the conduct of the Gubernatorial and Senatorial rerun elections in Kogi State.
It’s glaring APC members and apologists in Kwara State are rooting for the reemergence of Gov. Yahyah Bello and Sen. Smart Adeyemi both of APC and vice-versa for PDP members here rooting for Engr. Wada and Sen. Dino Melaye respectively, are doing so solely in party solidarity and not based on any progressive or developmental yardstick.
With the numerous heart wrenching videos flying around however, where we’ve been treated to daylight hijack, desecration and manipulation of the electoral process, it’s befuddling, seeing supposed Kwara progressives celebrating the impending reelection of Gov. Bello all in the name of party solidarity.
Reconciling how we’re celebrating the same Dabaru arrangement (apologies to Akinnibosun) that the Saraki years characterized in Kwara, which we all vehemently and vociferously resisted, at the risk of our lives and livelihood, because it’s our ally orchestrating same is the height of hypocrisy and double standard.
Kwara’s liberation which was hard won in 2019 ought to have clocked 8 years and still counting if the will of the electorates had been allowed to prevail in 2011, yet we were made to remain in the trenches for good 8 excruciating years of self denial, official recklessness and highandness, bastardisation of institutions and desecration of our respected tradition and traditional institutions.
One would have expected the bulk of Kwara progressives mainly in the APC to resoundingly denounce the charade called elections in Kogi, if not for anything, but for conscience, consistency and ties with our kiths and kins in Kogi, who were once Kwarans before the State creation.
Sadly, we’re all rejoicing and celebrating their woes, exchanging banters because our political friend is on the positive side of the divide today, how hypocritical and conscienceless can we be ?
May I however ask us all this salient questions ? Would the Kwara progressives had triumphed if the deposed Saraki dynasty had been allowed to unleash such violence on innocent Kwarans during the 2019 polls ? Would we be celebrating the much flaunted freedom we now have today ? How would we have reacted if Saraki had used Police personnel to hijack electoral materials, maim innocent Kwarans and circumvented the will of the people ? These and many more questions are begging for a sincere and conscientious answer.
Until the official announcement of results however, what one can deduce from the Saturday election is the fact that, the Nigeria as a Country still have a long way to go in its much mouthed aspiration of competing favourably in the community of Countries.
Regardless of who is eventually declared, it is glaring that this embarrassing charade is not about PDP or APC, it’s about the disrespect and disregard for the principles of democracy, the embarrassing insensitivity of the electorates and above all, the buy-in of security agencies especially Police force in this charade.
Nothing to cheer about the charade called election, all conscientious Nigerians, especially Kwarans must stand in solidarity with the good people of Kogi State to condemn the desperado politicians, the Nigeria police force and all other complicit security agency.
It’s indeed a sad day for democracy in Nigeria, we’ve once again raped democracy.
Abdulrasheed Akogun is a media practitioner and a good governance advocate, he can be reached via shoboiakogun@gmail.com