ANAMBRA: IN DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACY

Anambra has never cease to be the land of new discovery in the political jugular of our society, both in positive and likewise negative. It was in the state, that a sitting executive governor, Chris Ngige was kidnapped by some godfathers and also it was the first that produce first woman in 2006, Virginia Etiaba as a governor, no matter how short the period is, even if it is lesser than the four month she occupied the government house.

One thing that is certain mostly in developing society is discovery of new method of rigging that most time held the electorates gasping for breath seeing the cunning strategy of manipulation and most important their forever captivity by not being free to choose who govern them in a free and fair election that is entrenched in democratic values, which is sine qua non to democracy practicability and not a mirage. In Anambra, as the tide is going, it is becoming a reality that the discovery of total numbers of cancelled votes more than the difference between the numbers of votes cast for the winner and the runner up, a new negative development will stand despite even INEC chairman, prof. Jega openly talk of election sabotage within INEC and deliberate misconduct from many electoral officers making the election marred with unprecedented irregularities than even the 2007 and 2011 general election altogether.

It is imperative to note here that am neither for any political party nor a believer in any of the aspirants as all of them are the same political vampires with chronic selfishness and desperation flowing in their vein as it is far from their desire to better the people and the Anambra state and also all of them, APC, PDP, APGA, LP and others do patronize rigging. However, it is an issue that requires condemnation as it is a big threat to democracy and particular the 2015 general election. As I strongly opine, that all the system that was adopted in the election manipulation and deprivation of the people's right to vote was mostly tested to see how effective it can be use in 2015.

As INEC declare the election inclusive, what is the justification of upholding the election with plan to organize supplementary election in 210 polling units instead of outright cancellation? Is supplementary in our Electorate Act? Isn't it like plea bargaining? Why organizing election on Sunday same hour with religion activity when majority of the people in the place are christians. And what right do Prof. Jega to opined that voting or attending church is a matter of choice ? Is this not a deliberate subjection of the Anambra people to choose out of cohesion by putting them in an unnecessary opportunity cost situation of either forgoing their religion right or right to vote? Why will larger registered electorates be disenfranchised, making less than 30 percent of about 1million registered electorates to vote and whose blame will that be?

My message to the masses especially the youths is this: Speak and act more in defending our young 14 years of struggling democracy and justice irrespective of your political affiliation and interest than you do to your parties because if all these manipulations and anti-democratic deed goes unchallenged, it could favour any political party today and tomorrow it will favour others, however, in all, it will favour the political elites and never the ordinary people, instead of it favouring them, rather they will be deprived of developments and dividend of democracy in all ramifications as a man that got into office knowing he did so through rigging and not peoples vote can never be accountable to the people, until we get our election right, we can forget good governance.

It will pay us as people and youths to argue the election in liu of what our constitution says, the Electoral Acts, what ought to be and what we want as people rather than argue or talking from the perspective the political elites want us to talk from.Our problems are the political elites, whose taste for power in having access to public treasury is only imaginable and can do whatever to achieve that.


Ifade Olusegun
Lagos
@realifade
Ifadeolusegun@gmail.com