The controversial victory of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC at the ill-fated presidential election of February 25, 2023 is being challenged by presidential candidates of Labour Party, LP and his counterpart of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP , Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar respectively , yet Tinubu’s predecessor Mohammadu Buhari hands over presidential power to him amid protest s and contentions
By Miracle Egbo
Hope is a good breakfast but a soured dinner. This axiom sums up the expectations that trail the incoming administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which starts by May 29, 2023. Facts scooped by Tentacle revealed that the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari was hell bent in suspending every existing protocol to make sure that the baton of leadership of Nigeria was handed over to Tinubu in spite of the brouhaha that Tinubu’s victory elicited. For instance, on May 25th, 2023, Buhari handed the handover notes to Tinubu instead of doing same on the day of swearing-in that has been the norm since 1999. The desperation of the outgoing administration of Buhari to handover in a jiffy underscore belief in many political quarters that there is something about the victory of Tinubu at the poll that lives much to be desired.
Emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan in one of his interactions with newsmen few days to the swearing-in of Tinubu had averred that all eyes were on the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal to finish the job the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC did halfway during the February 25 presidential election. The respected clergy man called on the judiciary to find a way of doing a good job in delivering justice instead of delivering judgment. He said that “all eyes are on the court. We tried our best to vote, we were told to go to court. We are now in court, all eyes are on the court. We have trust in the court that they will finish that the INEC did halfway”.
Onaiyekan stressed the importance of being seen to be transparent in the process at the court and argued that if witnesses had anything to say that people shouldn’t be saying it. “It is in the interest of the judiciary to allow the people see what is happening, even if it means adjusting their rules. Voters don’t have the locus standi in court to challenge election outcomes. The matter is left to the candidates. That is why it is important that the court proceedings are seen live on television”.
Though the Appeal Court had declined the live broadcast of the Tribunal proceedings, the feelings of the respected clergy man are contagious. This is Because many electorate believed the announcement made by the electoral umpire does not represent the wishes of the people, therefore, there is consensus among the electorate that the process which INEC marred should be corrected by the judiciary for legitimacy to be conferred on any person that would be thrown up by the judiciary. An average electorate strongly believed that receptive democracy is only effective and meaningful when the power to make and change government effectively resides with the citizenry. This, according to the electorate that voted on February 25, 2023, is essentially done through periodic elections, platform for citizen power. Facts escalated by the conduct of the electoral umpire suggested that the same power that is the pride of the electorate is being trampled upon, and the judiciary, historically speaking has not been helpful in restoring the power of the electorate in deciding who governs them.
Despite irregularities that trailed the emergence of Tinubu as President, the cabal behind his emergence was bent on sidelining the procedures of winning in making sure that their preferred candidate was sworn-in. For instance, suggestions made by legal luminaries on the best and quickest way to determine the petition before May 29, 2023 fell on deaf ears. Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN advised that the petitions could be dispensed within seven days but such advice was thrown into the dustbin by the Court of Appeal which is adjudicating the petitions, through its body language. What has played out in the twilight of Buhari’s administration suggests that the citizens’ power in the country is abysmally weak, and the media is inhibited not to say it the way it is for the fear of ‘inciting the masses’ as warned by the security operatives in the past few days.
Information at the disposal of Tentacle revealed that some of the hanky-panky that trailed the transition process has created a new lexicon in political firmament of the country. It is on record that the outgoing Federal Executive Council, FEC that supposed to have been dissolved was left to continue few days to the handover day. An informed Aso Rock source said that the decision of leaving the FEC intact is booby trap for the incoming administration as some of the ministers that suppose to handover to the various permanent secretaries are not doing so and might not hand over after the handover date. According to the source, it would make it difficult for the incoming administration to take inventory of the various ministries, the source concluded by saying that the decision is an aberration that may cause disaffection in months to come.
Whatever is the case, the fact that Tinubu is yet to deny linkage with the drug cartel in the United States of America, the issues of his educational qualification which is contentious, the overwhelming evidences that what INEC declared as the results are different from what actually transpired at the polling units scattered across the country lives much to be desired.
Investigation orchestrated by this medium revealed that the populace is not happy with what is going on in the country at the moment and may be forced to pour into the streets even after May 29, 2023 to demand for the restoration of the mandate they freely gave their choice candidate on February 25, 2023. The same investigation revealed that in matter of days Nigerians would begin to witness series of industrial action because the economic realities of the day is making it difficult for the citizenry to function, and any avenue created for them to vent their anger would be latched on to in matter of weeks to come. The feelings of the electorate might have found expression in the warning by the Department of Security Service, DSS that some people had planned to disrupt the inauguration of May 29, 2023 across some states in the nation and Abuja.
Information has it that those Nigerian youths who defied all odds to come out to vote for the candidate of their choice in the presidential election are not happy that their decision at the poll was violated with impunity. The youths, according to an investigation monitored in Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Anambra, Imo, Benue and other states across the nation, are calculative on the appropriate time to pour into the street to protest what they said would make the beginning of the process of reclaiming their mandate at the at the Tribunal. The enormous security challenges in the country are capable of holding the Tinubu administration hostage for the next six months because the administration might not have the nerves to confront the monster created by the outgone administration.
It is disturbing that few days to the handover, the security crises across the nation have escalated beyond control. In Plateau State, the amount of blood orgy is mind boggling that the citizenry are on the verge of self help. Ditto for Benue State where scores of citizens were murdered in their homes and streets without consequences by the notorious herdsmen who have been allegedly empowered by the Buhari administration. The Middle-Belt Forum had vowed to defend themselves in the face of onslaught launched against their citizens by the herdsmen that appeared to have enjoyed the protection of the powers that be.
Afenifere, a pan Yoruba socio-cultural group have at different fora said that the victory of Tinubu at the poll is not the wish of the people, thereby urging the judiciary to do the needful. Pa Ayo Adebanjo leader of Afenifere had posited that the victory of Tinubu is going to cause more damage to country than imagined, calling on the judiciary to rescue the country from this impending doom. Ohanaeze Ndigbo socio-cultural organization under the leadership of Emmanuel Iwuanywu has said that the process that produced Tinubu is flawed, therefore, the judiciary should come to the aide of the electorate by helping them to reclaim their mandate and give it to the rightful owner.
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, last May issued a fresh sit-at-home order to the people of the region as a way to protest the alleged electoral robbery that occurred in February 25, 2023, adding that what happened has given credence to the allegation that the region is not wanted in the scheme of things in the country, the time has come for the people from the region to be allowed to go from Nigeria.
Arewa Consultative Forum in the same vein is calling on the judiciary to do the needful if they want to keep this country from disintegration because the exercise leading to the emergence of Tinubu is questionable, therefore, all the grey areas thrown by INEC must be cleared by the judiciary before any meaningful peace is enthroned in the country.
