We don’t have them these days unlike in the first republic – colourful men in politics. Very humorous, entertaining, leaderly in every aspects and of course, ever far-sighted. Year in, year out, they dashed us take-aways, which make us nostalgic, even many years after their deaths.
In view of the alarming situation in Ekiti State, it is inevitable to sound the warning of Obafemi Awolowo’s political prophesy in the run-up to the fateful 1983 elections. According to him, if the elections were rigged, Nigeria might not experience, let alone attain democracy for a long time.
The old man also offered an antidote for the anticipated rigging. As he put it, if the locals don’t support such electoral misdemeanour, no rigging, especially snatching of ballot boxes and falsification of figures can be possible.

More than twenty-five years later, the more we attempt democratic elections, the more we recede. Up till the recent past, the latest by-elections in ten local government wards would have been ordinarily formal and results contemptuously concocted. But the Ekiti were determined not to be insulted and therefore suddenly turned into night watchmen and night-watchwomen menacingly guarding the ballot boxes containing their votes as well as the collation and counting centres where the results were to be announced.

Otherwise, Ekiti story might have been different. With the stalemate unquestionably re-affirming our inability to organise free elections, another politicians of Awolowo’s generation would have humorously but very appropriately reversed one of his famous quotable quotes. In those days, to emphasise the determination of his political drive, Kingsley Osumba Mbadiwe would rouse his audience that even if at snail-speed, he and his party (especially Democratic Party of Nigeria and the Cameroons) were moving forward ever, and backward never.

Unless Mbadiwe belonged to the gang of election rigging culprits, this colourful politician would have simply reversed himself as headlined above, to express his pity and frustration at the outcome of the Ekiti-election and the continuous blurred image for Nigeria in the democratic world.
On his part, if the dead could move, much as Obafemi Awolowo would feel vindicated on his prediction of dim prospects for democracy in Nigeria and surely consoled that his political fortress (Ekiti) resisted the attempted election rigging, he (Awolowo) would still be sad that leading undertakers of free elections and democracy in Nigeria (and lately in Ekiti) are his supposed loyalists/followers.

By the way, an early victim of political stray bullet in the battle for Ekiti is Madam Re-branding, innocent Dora Akunyili: if only she is as innocent as she appears. Dora cannot be faulted for her altruism is aiming at cleaning up Nigeria’s international image of political backwardness and financial crime.
On her efforts, she was advised in this column less than two months ago that much as Nigeria needed to be re-branded, she should start the re-branding right inside Aso Rock. So soon, all her efforts to re-brand Nigeria have been rubbished by the Ekiti election row. It is so easy to read her mind. “See me, see trouble. How do I defend this before the outside world?”

Especially, national chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Maurice Iwu is back in controversy, partly because that seems to be his middle name. Yet, whatever the blame for Maurice Iwu on the Ekiti election, the buck stops on President Yar’Adua’s table.
Ordinarily, what could be contained in Yar’Adua’s proposed electoral reforms, the first taste of which could not be experienced in Ekiti to re-assure Nigerians on the prospects of free and fair elections?

It is very sad that just as Nigeria was once again failing in ordinary by-elections in local government wards, South Africa (after Ghana, Liberia, Sierra-Leone and Ghana again) was taking its position in the league of nations respected and acclaimed in civilized conduct of national elections.
The problem in our case should not be seen as which party wins. After all, in any contest, only one side can win. What is involved is therefore the conduct of elections in Nigeria. Why is it that any election in Nigeria –ward, local government, state, national, party congress, party executive – is marked by rigid government interests, violence, vacillation, suspense, uncertainty, etc.

Only a month ago, the necessary warning was sounded in this column that in the Ekiti election both Umar Yar’Adua and Maurice Iwu were the real contestants for their public reputation. It now seems the two of them could not be bothered. This probably explains why Yar’Adua and Maurice Iwu have been put on the spot by another warning, which they both probably ignored. It was made clear that unlike Sokoto, Bayelsa, Kogi, etc, Ekiti, as about the most sophisticated electorate in Nigeria, would not allow the re-run as mere formality.

The elections (since reduced to non-elections) in Ekiti have proved that the people stoutly resisted the attempted monofiki. The significance of this resistance is not just that nobody will dare attempt to rig elections in the state in future, but also that Ekiti electorate has enlightened other parts of the country on how to protect their votes. In the past, INEC would have announced a fake result in Abuja.
While still playing out, the Ekiti election crisis suddenly added a new name to Nigerian political history. Ayoka Adebayo was the Resident National Electoral commissioner in Ekiti State whose lot was to announce the final election result. Elections came and were held even if in an atmosphere of near anarchy. Then results started filtering in and suddenly the lady-abandoned post.

Since then, Nigerians have been treated to funny logic, while Ayoka Adebayo, ex-resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti State has been unfairly portrayed by Police Inspector General, Mike Okiro, as a criminal. In the process, several controversial issues have been raised, even by politicians with sort of empty memory.
Starting with Information Minister Dora Akunyili, she clearly doesn’t’ have the slightest knowledge of the intricacies of politics. Or what could she (Dora) mean by Ayoka Adebayo’s “purported” letter of resignation or that the letter of resignation was “suspect”? Ayoka Adebayo is alive and has not disowned the letter of resignation or the resignation proper. Even if the reasons she gave for quitting were wrong, that would be a different issue entirely. Or better still, who determines the validity of such letter of resignation? Surely, not the Information Minister.

Dora Akunyili was therefore not only wrong to have labeled the ex-Resident Electoral Commissioner (Ekiti State) letter of resignation as “purported. But Police Inspector-General Mike Okiro was also wrong to have described the lady’s resignation as “suspect.” Whatever the reasons, which might have forced Ayoka Adebayo to resign, it is her unlimited right to exercise. What is more; she (Ayoka Adebayo) experienced the heat at the theatre of war (Ekiti) far away from the cool environment at Abuja.

Politicians (of both Action Congress and Peoples Democratic Party) might be rightly exhibiting their vested interests in calling on Ayoka Adebayo to release results of the elections before resigning. But what mattered most to the lady, and right so, are her conscience and more importantly her personal safety.
It would be unfortunate but not tenable if either the Action Congress or rival PDP lost their victory as a result of the ex-Resident (Ekiti) national Electoral Commissioner’s resignation. What, if she died suddenly of natural causes, would someone else not announce the result? What if Ayoka Adebayo had been shot or died in the arson at the National Electoral Commission’s office somewhere in Ekiti, would the politicians not go on with their business as usual, only shortly after?
Nigerian politicians! Very unstable and ridiculous lot. Are they also reliable? Their stock-in-trade is to shamelessly adjust situations to suit their vested interests. Otherwise, how could any politician critic of the ex-resident (Ekiti) Electoral Commissioner be taken seriously? These were the same politicians, who, has only a year ago, descended on former national Electoral commission boss, Prof. Humphrey Nwosu for writing his memoirs, detailing, much in agony, events which frustrated his performance in1993?

The cheapest singsong was “Why did he (Nwosu) not resign at that time?” That was in the midst of the June 12, 1993 crisis? Another national electoral commissioner, Ayoka Adebayo, has done just that (by resigning) in the midst of Ekiti election crisis. Yet the poor lady is being undeservedly criticized. Anybody genuinely in support of free and fair elections must applaud Ayoka Adebayo for honourably quitting.

The lesson here is that whatever you do in such situations, Nigerians will criticize.
On the part of Nigeria Police, Inspector-General Mike Okiro did not help matters in the Ekiti crisis and the resignation of the resident electoral commissioner. In fact, Inspector-General Mike Okiro has been unduly overzealous so far in this crisis. Pitiably and pitifully, Okiro is opening himself to criticism on the eve of retirement. He was quite right to have removed an openly politically biased ex-Ekiti State Commissioner of Police Chris Ola for a new commissioner of police, specifically for the elections.

To re-inforce the intended neutrality of police personnel throughout the elections, Mike Okiro also posted one of his higher ranking officers not below an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, to oversee the performance throughout Ekiti elections.
Despite the anarchy and the mutual allegations of rigging or attempted rigging of the elections by both Action Congress and the PDP, it is to the credit of out-going police boss Mike Okiro that the two political parties involved in the cut-throat rivalry for Government House, Ado-Ekiti, commended the neutrality and efficient performance of police personnel.

Yet, the same Mike Okiro stained this achievement with his pronouncements on the resignation of Ayoka Adebayo as resident electoral commissioner for Ekiti State. By the way, we ignore the seeming sign of no confidence in his officers in Ekiti elections displayed by Inspector-General Mike Okiro. His trip to Ekiti, in the face of the widely acknowledged performance of his officers tended to either steal the show from them or undermine them.
Worse still, police Inspector General Mike Okiro mis-reacted to the resignation of Ekiti State Electoral Commissioner, Ayoka Adebayo. Okiro, if unknown to him, committed clear libel in declaiming Ayoka Adebayo wanted, thereby portraying her as a criminal. Only criminals can be declared wanted by law enforcement agencies.

Ayoka Adebayo was appointed a National Electoral Commissioner, a public service from which any appointee has an inalienable constitutional right to quit at any time without notice. Mike Okiro further ordered the lady to report to the nearest police station within 24 hours. Failing which what would follow?
Mike Okiro betrayed the total lack of seriousness in this affair when he said the allegations made by the ex-Ekiti State resident electoral commissioner were so serious that she must come forward to assist the police in their investigations thoroughly “… so that we (police) can get to the root of the matter…”
By standard, Nigeria Police only pledge to “get to the root of the matter” when they have no clue to a criminal act like unauthorized police shootings, murder political assassinations. Which of such has ever been uprooted? Not one.

Again, INEC boss, ever restless, reminded us that “INEC commissioners are appointed according to the nation’s constitution and can only be removed by the President acting on an address supported by two thirds majority of the Senate showing that he or she should be removed for inability to discharge the functions of the office whether arising from the infirmity of mind or body or any other cause of or for misconduct.”
Thanks very much. How does this inhibit any electoral commissioner from voluntarily resigning, either legally or constitutionally.
The former Ekiti National Electoral Commissioner was unambiguous in her reason(s) for quitting. It is mainly a matter of conscience and public moral. According to the lady, “in accordance with the rule of law, the elections in Ekiti were supposed to be the election that will enhance the image of INEC electoral process in our dear country, Nigeria and the whole black race. Unfortunately, the circumstances CHANGED in the middle of the process; therefore, my conscience as a Christian cannot allow me to further participate in this process.”

It was therefore that she could not be part of the change in the circumstances of conducting the election. Even if Ayoka Adebayo as a resident electoral commissioner somewhere in the country in the 2007 free for all electoral fraud, her conscience and religious inclination at the least, stirred her conscience this time. That is the major difference in this ex-resident national electoral commissioner in Ekiti State.

Her colleagues are free to continue reveling in crimes against their God, conscience and humanity.
There is an aspect in this matter to which nobody seems to be paying attention. The Obasanjo factor. If Obasanjo did not appoint Ayoka Adebayo to the INEC post before his forced exit in 2007, there was no way the lady, from South-West could have been appointed by President Umaru Yar’Adua without ex-President Obasanjo’s consent. That was in the good old days.

President Umaru Yar’Adua, no matter how minimally, has since assumed himself as his own man.
As a member of Independent National Electoral Commission representing South-West, would she have quit without Obasanjo’s knowledge? Most unlikely. It is also a fact that the People’s Democratic Party, at its convention in Abuja last week, impliedly rubbished Obasanjo by recognizing Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel’s faction and delegates to the convention, a development joyfully celebrated by Gbenga Daniel reportedly leading his supporters dancing round the venue.
It was a humiliation Olusegun Obasanjo anticipated and therefore kept away from the convention. PDP’s possible loss of Ekiti State especially through the high drama of the resignation of the resident national electoral commissioner (South-Westerner) offers Obasanjo the opportunity to taunt his party’s national hierarchy with his political influence.

Stop press: After this was written, news spread that Ayoka Adebayo has denied resigning as National Electoral Commissioner. Today’s views therefore become hypothetical. THIS NIGERIA.