The Nation Newspaper

Tag: OSUN

  • Who actually attempted rigging in Osun?

    Democracy is a game of consensus in which competing elite groups offer differing ideas of how best to organise society. Their primary theatre of competition is election. Though conflict is embedded in politics, the players have at the back of their mind the best of their people at heart. After elections have been won and lost, the losers take it calmly and retreat to prepare for the next one. This is the fabled ‘spirit of sportsmanship’ that has become the hallmark of developed society and which makes democracy to serve the best interest of the people ultimately.

    However, looking at the events leading to, during and immediately after the August 9, governorship election in Osun State, the conduct of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has left much to be desired. It is like they are at war with the people of the state. They have given the impression that they must win at all cost or heaven will fall.

    One of their assault on the people is unconscionable fabrication and abuse of media access. It is a seriously perturbing development to find a syndicated story in many of our national dailies on Wednesday September 3, to the effect that two staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have been suspended because they, according to the quite reprehensible story, allegedly colluded with the All Progressives Party (APC) to rig the August 9 gubernatorial election in Osun.

    It is reprehensible on the one hand, because the apparently un-investigated story projects our newspapers in very bad light as thoroughly shoddy and quite careless in their reportorial duties. On the other hand, the utter falsehood of such story gives away the unconscionable character of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and invariably that of the politicians with which it is peopled.

    That the party will have the effrontery to turn the truth on its head and flip facts over in the service of its failed political bid to foist a candidate of irreparably damaged reputation on the people of Osun during the August 9 election remains an incomprehensible mystery.

    Unfortunately for the party, facts, given their nature, are not easily amenable to the kind of senseless revisionism as the PDP is trying to engage in. For the record; the fact of the matter is this: the two Electoral Officers (EOs) in question were in fact working in cahoots with and for the PDP to subvert the will of the people of Osun State before and during the governorship election.

    One of the two culprits, Segun Eshilokun, was the Electoral Officer (EO) for Obokun Local Government who, along with one Ismaila Taofik, was apprehended with a truck full of election materials a day prior to the Election Day, before INEC officially began to distribute such materials. Eshilokun and his partner were handed over to the police by the youths, only to be subsequently released to a PDP top functionary from Ile-Ife, Professor Oladipo Oladapo. The excuse given for their release was simply and barefacedly, ‘Order from Above’.

    The second suspended staff of INEC was the EO for Osogbo Local Government during the election. Being the largest voter base in the state, and given the already widely known support for the APC in Osogbo, this EO made spirited attempts to manipulate the electoral process in favour of the PDP. It was the vigilance and persistent complaint by the APC that prevented his brazen attempts from succeeding.

    In fact, his suspension was consequent upon petition to INEC by the APC about his numerous attempts to twist the voting process in Osogbo in favour of the PDP of which he is a card-carrying member. For instance, it is on record that on Election Day, he released only 64 out of the 227 identification tags he was supposed to release to APC polling agents.

    The intent was to deprive the APC polling agents of access to their polling units to monitor the accreditation process. The APC had to call INEC Commissioner for this zone, Ambassador Wali, to intervene. But he was not done yet. When voting came to an end, the same EO withheld the customised Form EC8C meant for recording collated results for Osogbo Local Government. Again, the APC had to call in Ambassador Wali, who issued him a second query in one day for the form to be released.

    If we put these and other shameless incidents of attempted rigging by the PDP alongside the militarisation of the state, the cases of widespread bullying by gun-wielding agents of the PDP-led federal government, the unlawful arrests of APC bigwigs, including members of the governor’s cabinet among many other such horrifying acts, would it not be clear to all which party actually attempted to rig?

    That the PDP can now turn around to enrol the media in its reprehensible propaganda to change the facts is quite inconceivable. But it is even more unfortunate that our media practitioners will allow themselves to be co-opted into this kind of disgraceful agenda to turn the victim into perpetrator over-night.

    The cases of attempted electoral manipulation against the two suspended INEC staff are in the public domain and were given good coverage in the media. It is the least any media practitioner should do in satisfying the requirement of professional ethics to do a proper check of the accuracy of a story before rushing to press.

    The blatant falsehood of this story gives the impression of media collusion with the PDP to convert lie into truth. Against this background, INEC also owes it a duty to Nigerians, the people of Osun, and to morality to come out clearly and say which party the suspended EOs were actually colluding with. Associating the name of INEC with this mendacious story can only drag its name in the mud and give it a taint of partisanship.

    The electoral body would lose nothing by coming out to announce which party is involved in the attempt to manipulate the election for which the two EOs were suspended pending the completion of the investigation it is conducting. After all, it is still in the process of investigation. But to keep quiet in the face of this morally damaging story in which INEC’s name has been mentioned in the authentication of plain falsehood cannot bode well for the integrity of the electoral body.

    It is not only a matter of moral obligation for INEC, but the electoral body would also be making a strong statement that no political party or partisan group has a right to use its name as a stamp of authority for falsehood.

     

    • Ogundele writes from Osogbo, Osun State

  • Family seeks Osun’s intervention in royal crisis

    Family seeks Osun’s intervention in royal crisis

    A ruling house in Iwo, Osun State, Gbaase Royal family, has urged Governor Rauf Aregbesola to allow justice to prevail in the selection of Oluwo.

    A contestant from the ruling house, Prince Adewale Abdulrasheed Akanbi, made the appeal in a letter.

    He asked the governor to study the history of the selection and installation process and ensure justice.

    Akanbi said since the demise of the Oluwo, Oba Asiru Olatubosun Tadese, who died on February 19, 2013, after ruling for 21 years, there had been attempts to manipulate the selection process.

    Akanbi said: “We are appealing to the government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to save Iwo. Your government is of God because God was the one that vindicated you over your enemies. You have been a victim of injustice and fraud. So, please don’t allow that same injustice boat to sail during your tenure.

    “Gbaase ruling house has been deprived for over 450 years and most especially, my own family, which is a direct descendant of Olayilumi, has been marginalised and denied the access to my family rights through fraudulent practices for over 650 years after the untimely death of Parin.

  • Osun: Omisore submits 850-page petition against poll result

    Osun State ‎governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has filed a 850-page petition before the state governorship Elections Petition Tribunal at the state High Court Osogbo against the result of the August 9 poll.
    In the petition, he challenged the results of 17 Local Government Areas of the state in the election in which the All Progressives Congress candidate, Rauf Aregbesola, was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
    Accompanied by the state chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Ganiyu Ola-Oluwa and other chieftains of the party, Omisore told the reporters that “I will reclaim his mandate through the tribunal.”
    No fewer than seven Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SANs) were engaged by Omisore to prosecute his case before the tribunal.
    In the petition, Omisore is seeking an order of the tribunal to cancel the results of the August 9 Governorship election in 17 Local Government Areas of the state.
    The Local Government Areas include, Ifelodun, Olorunda, Osogbo, Ejigbo, Ede South, Ede North, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, and Ila among others.The PDP governorship candidate also called for fresh conduct of the governorship election in the affected 17 Local Government Areas.Besides, he sought the order of the tribunal to declare him the authentic winner of the August 9 Governorship election.
    He stated that “the last Governorship election was marred by careless rigging perpetrated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) through the Osun Youths Empowerment Scheme (OYES) cadets.”
    The Secretary to the tribunal, Mr Muhammadu Adamu Aliyu, who received the petition on behalf of the tribunal chairman, assured that the tribunal would carry out its duties without fear or favour.

  • Lessons from Osun governorship election

    SIR: The hype, frenzy and hullabaloo of the Osun governorship election have come and gone, it has left some echoes of lamentation of lost travellers on a maze of paths with no compass to chart the right course.   The election brought to the fore issues and principles around which political parties canvas for votes.  On focus also was the integrity of the political process, especially the neutrality of the electoral umpire, the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).  Equally conspicuous were the roles of security operatives, observers and election monitoring, reports, comments and analysis of the members of the fourth estate of the realm and the entire gamut of the election.

    Without a doubt, the election was a dress rehearsal to the forthcoming 2015 elections.    Elections in Nigeria are neither issue based nor ideological in outlook.   Qualifications and acceptance are on the narrow prism of religion, ethnicity, and other sectarian considerations.   This is the reason why the money bags purchase ballots and support by giving handouts to Nigerians whom they have impoverished through looting of our commonwealth.

    Crowds are hired for rallies to give semblance of popularity and acceptance and rigging machines oiled.

    Preparation for elections ordinarily was for candidates to introduce their manifestoes and programmes to the electorate but instead the candidates carry and distribute customized rice, salt and pepper with little cash for the D-Day.

    In the build-up to the Osun election, there was so much hues and cries about the presence of security in the entire states.  The APC accused the PDP led federal government of militarizing the state with the aim of intimidating the opposition and create avenues for manipulating the electoral result. The question then, is how does the presence of security forces translate to intimidation?  Yes, the roadblocks may be quite inconveniencing.   It is unfortunately our fate that we have to contend with for now.  However, it is my view that security agencies should be thinking beyond the “roadblock” intelligence which only visit hardship on the people and expose them to greater harm in event of “unlikely” incident of attack at those road blocks.

    The DSS operatives now operate like Rambo wearing hood and bearing arms offensively to the chagrin of any person with pretensions to intelligence gathering.    This to me has manifestly exposed our inability to get intelligence to arrest the mindless violence and insurgency in the North-east and other criminality in Nigeria.   Always, there ought to be synergy by the different security agencies each complementing the other in fine harmony not like the Nollywood pageant exhibitionism.

    The activities of the DSS also exposed the deep rooted partisanship of the service and perhaps other security agencies.  I was worried at the statement credited to the spokesperson of the Directorate of the State Security (SSS), Marilyn Ogar where she alleged that men of the department were bribed with the sum of N14 million.  To a rational person, it was obvious she was not only playing a script but wearing the garb of partisanship.   After all, it is common knowledge that all the political parties arrange financial package for the security men through some facilitators. Therefore she was not saying anything new or extra-ordinary about our elections; that may not be best global practice but a Nigerian political norm.  In all these murky water of political storm, the lesson is that the people, the masses, and electorate have the ace to change our political culture and fortune.

     

    • Mike Kebonkwu Esq

    Wuse 2, Abuja

     

  • When traditionalists celebrated Isese festival in Osun

    When traditionalists celebrated Isese festival in Osun

    A year after Osun state governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola declared a public holiday to celebrate Yoruba traditional religions in the state, worshippers of various Orisa (deities) converged on Osogbo, the state capital to mark Isese Festival. ADESOJI ADENIYI was there. 

    The 2014 Isese Festival did not go without drawing people’s attention to its significance – acknowledging and honouring the Yoruba Orisah as (deities) and ancestors.

    Holding this year edition in a grand style in collaboration with the Osun State government, the Traditional Religion Worshipers Association regarded the festival as Odun Nla (Big festival.)

    The Sport Centre of the Technical College, Osogbo venue of the celebration of the festival was full of traditionalists, who were happy to demonstrate their religious faith. Apart from the social components associated with the celebration, the major highlight of the festivity was the invocation to all divinities (Apebo) and prayer (Iwure) for the people of the state, the government and devotees. Each masquerade in its posture presented the long lost history of the Yoruba race.

    Each of the 30 local government areas in the state brought masquerade (Egungun) to feature in the festival. The masquerades, which came in different forms and regalia, displayed according to their tradition.

    The festival, with the theme: “Exploring Religious Tourism for Economic Empowerment in the State of Osun” was full of fun and an avenue for probing the essence of the Yoruba cultural values with the intention to achieve understanding.

    The state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, represented by the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Culture and Tourism, Hon. Sikiru Ayedun and his counterpart in Regional Integration and Special Duties, Hon. Ajibola Basiru, reiterated his administration’s commitment to equal opportunities for all religions.

    The Traditional Religious Worshipers Association, an amalgamation of all clustered traditional religions, was inaugurated in 2013 after the state government declared a day in the calendar year as public holiday for the traditionalists. Initially, it generated tension in the state, particularly among Christians and Muslims but Aregbesola insisted it was meant to give all religions equal opportunities.

    The traditionalists are not resting on their oars as they spend each year’s Isese festival to consolidate on their gains. They described Isese as the origin or source of creation. The association was designed to serve as the coordinating body for the various clustered traditional religious organisations in the state and oversee the regulation and practice of traditional religion. It is also expected to initiate and advise the Osun State government on policies related to the practice of traditional religion and to promote advocacy and dialogue on the development of traditional religion and inter faith synergy with adherents of other religions.

    The President of TRWASO, Chief Idowu Awopetu, in his speech summarised the essence of the festival when he said: “Today, history is once again being made in our dear state, Osun, which is the centre of Yoruba culture, tradition and civilisation as we mark the 2014 Isese festival.” He called on the state government to introduce Ifa studies in the education curriculum in both primary and secondary schools in the state.

    He reminded the governor of his promise in 2013 to introduce Ifa studies into the curriculum in secondary schools in the state. Awopetu lamented that efforts by traditionalists to ensure the introduction of Ifa studies in the teaching curriculum have failed because the state government was yet to accede to their request. He maintained that with the introduction of Ifa studies in schools, juvenile delinquencies would be prevented in the state.

  • Low-key Osun Osogbo Festival

    Low-key Osun Osogbo Festival

    OSUN Osogbo, the annual festival for the worship and honour  of the Osun deity by devotees, is among the biggest tourism gatherings the country. It is a local festival that enjoys large international appeal. The lure of this festival, to many from within and outside the country, is both physical and spiritual.

    Within the realm of the physical, the gaiety, colour and revelry with which the festival is celebrated are what they enjoy. The feeling of being part of traditional rites that date back to more than 800 years is an added attraction to many.

    Spiritually, many come to the bank of the Osun River in search of spiritual solution to one ailment or the other. Even though the festival is marked for about three weeks, the focus is normally on the grand finale.

    Probably, there has never been a year in which hosting the festival has been as challenging as this year’s edition. The huge crowd that used to be a focal point in the celebration became a source of discomfort. This is as a result of the viral infection that the West Africa sub-region is currently battling with, the Ebola virus.

    This year was no key because of the state government’s effort to discourage the influx of people from within and outside the country.  Among the measures put in place is the issue of crowd control to minimize unhealthy contacts and consequent risks of contracting the dreaded Ebola(EVD).  It was obvious that while there was not outright ban of people travelling to Osun State for once,  Osogbo was not over enthusiastic to welcome visitors.

    The festival committee was also forced to issue a statement on how visitors and locals were to comport themselves for the festival. Committee said: “We all know that the OsunOsogbo Festival prides itself on being a festival that has been celebrated consistently since 1370 AD without any default. Even, when the presentation of the 2010 edition of the festival coincided with when the immediate Ataoja of Osogbo, the late Oba Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi III joined his forefathers on Tuesday, August 3, 2010, the presentation of the 2010 Osun Osogbo Festival still held on Friday, August 27, 2010. Hence it is a festival that has withstood several challenges and will still withstand challenges even in the face of the current outbreak of Ebola in Lagos State. To this end, we want to implore each and every one of us to ensure that we moderate our reception of our visitors, either  from overseas and most especially from other states within Nigeria, where cases of this deadly disease are being managed. Also, we the organisers of the festival are in total support of the state government’s crowd control measures being put in place to minimize the risks of the spread of this disease during the Osun Osogbo Grand Finale coming up on Friday, August 22, 2014 (yesterday).”

    The festival’s consultant, Infogem Ltd, through its CEO, Mr. Ayo Olumoko, was also quick to point out that even though certain preventive measures were put in place to control crowd, including  having viewing centres, this year’s festival was still a success as these measures only affected the grand finale, which was yesterday. He was quick to point out that other activities of the festival had all been done with great success.

    For those unfamiliar with the festival, the grand finale involves the votary maiden, Arugba, taking off from the palace area carrying the calabash that contains sacrificial items and covered with cloth. Amidst celebratory atmosphere, she makes her way to the bank of the Osun River, inside the Osun grove. According to the tradition of the Osogbo people, the collective success and failure of the people of Osogbo in the next one year are predicated on the ability of the Arugba to successfully carry the sacrificial items to the Osun River. She must not stumble, she must not fall, and neither should the calabash. Based on the importance of the work of the maiden, a protective cordon is made round her as she makes her way to the river making stops at certain points along the way to acknowledge some personalities and families, according to the tradition, until she finally completes her assignment inside the old palace of the founder of Osogbo town in the grove.

    It is easy for one to dismiss the Osun Osogbo festival as a kind of predictable annual ritual.  But part of the allure of the festival is that each year, the celebration has its peculiarities which make it unique and both indigenes and Osun devotees would not miss it.

    In the 2010 edition of the festival, there was an empty throne, a crown without a head to wear it and no king to deliver a goodwill speech to the mammoth crowd that thronged the grove. This year was different. The state itself has seen a change in the baton of leadership.

    The ceremony, colour and festivity attached to the festival, according to Osun devotees,  has to do the deity  Osun. Osun and everything attached to it constitute part of the culture  of Osogbo and form the archetype of the people. Osun is largely regarded as to be the goddess  of fertility , divine favour, healing, protection and prosperity. Although Osogbo is the home of Osun, the deity is worshipped throughout Yorubaland and in the Diaspora. This makes this festival unique. It is to reverberate all through the land where Osun is worshipped.

    The town Osogbo basks in the popularity of the festival. It  has grown phenomenally on account of Osun. The creativity of the inspired by Osun made Osogbo a centre of arts where indigenous, but whole renowned artists emerged. It also attracted arts scholars from all over the world to the city. This truly is a heritage that we should nurture and treasure.

  • Monarch praises Goldberg for Osun Osogbo

    Monarch praises Goldberg for Osun Osogbo

    As activities marking the annual Osun Osogbo Festival reach advanced stage, some individuals have praised Goldberg, a premium lager brand from the stables of Nigerian Breweries Plc., for its support, which they described as encouraging.

    Th spoke at the Stakeholders Presentation Forum at the palace of Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun Larooye II, the Ataoja of Osogboland.

    It was organised to enable the corporate sponsors brief the Ataoja and members of his cabinet on the festival.

    First to shower encomiums on Goldberg was Oba Olanipekun, who noted that Goldberg’s involvement and planned leveraging activities have surpassed that of last year, which was the brand’s maiden effort.

    He said: “I must state that the support from Goldberg for this year’s festival has been outstanding and quite commendable so far. They came on board last year and as expected could not do so much. But this year, Goldberg has shown they mean business; their presence and support have been enormous.”

    The monarch thanked Nigerian Breweries for its support for the yearly festival, which showcases the cultural values of the Osogbo people. He, however, urged the Goldberg Team to keep up the tempo.

  • Osun lawmaker to sue police for unlawful arrest

    Osun lawmaker to sue police for unlawful arrest

    A member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Folarin Fafowora, has vowed to take a legal action against alleged “unlawful arrest” by the police a day before the August 9 governorship election.

    The lawmaker representing Ilesa West State Constituency disclosed this to reporters in Osogbo at the weekend.

    He said his lawyers would soon file the case in court to seek justice on the breach of his fundamental human rights.

    Narrating his ordeal, he said the police forced him, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Wale Adedoyin, the Executive Secretary of Ilesa East, Lanre Baolgun, and about 50 others arrested to sit on the “dirty bare floor of Ayeso Police Station” like criminals.

    “The police said they were acting on the allegation by the members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  in Ilesa that we were doing accreditation for some people before the election day. But later, the police investigation proved otherwise,” he said.

    He lamented that he spent five days under very poor unhygienic condition for a crime he did not commit, blaming the police for acting as agents of the PDP governorship candidate in the election, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

  • Osun: The tragedy of victory

    Firebrand activist, the only socialist governor in Nigeria, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola defeated his bitter rival, Mr. Iyiola Omisore on August 9, 2014.  I was deeply involved in the Ekiti and Osun campaigns. I saw the thick and thin.  Aregbesola and Fayemi invested wits, energy, brain and vigour.

    Victory is sweet, but the investment in it tastes like a bile. Before the elections, I met the two. I saw exhaustion. On one occasion, I met Aregbesola around 11 pm.  He had not eaten anything since morning. There was simply no time to eat; pale but resolute. On another occasion, I met him around 4.34 am on a Monday. I had waited since 8am the previous Sunday. He was attending to endless sea of visitors. By the time I left around 5am on Monday, scores of people were still waiting to see him. Aregbesola visited all the 332 wards, unlike Mr. Iyiola Omisore. He met with all the traditional institutions in the over 300 towns and hamlets. He spent about 3,000 hours in the past six months preparing for the election. On the contrary, the most formidable slogans of Mr. Ayodele Fayose and Mr. Omisore were “I shall be declared. I shall win. I will be the Governor.”

    On Tuesday when he raised up the Certificate of Return in Abuja, Aregbesola was lean, emaciated but nevertheless, his face as strong as granite.  The same exhaustion of the flesh, in the build up to the campaign, was not noticeable in his main contender, whose most noticeable trademarks were roasted corns which he munched all through, and the armed masked men that usually encircled him.  I have searched in vain for Mr. Omisore’s manifesto, his plans for Osun people, but could not find one. Yet, this man polled 292,747 votes.

    For me, that is a tragedy in this victory. It reflects the heartbreak of a crestfallen nation, a country in perpetual turmoil largely due to the institutionalisation of corruption. More than anything else, Osun has further exposed the catastrophe that has befallen the Yoruba nation and Nigeria as a whole. Aregbesola had 394,684 compared with Omisore’s 292,747. The difference is 101,937 votes. This raises fundamental issues. First, the PDP could have had many elected people if the election was into the state or national assemblies.

    Two, how did a man with so huge a moral burden, following the death of Chief Bola Ige, of which he was a key suspect, manage to record such a high figure in the home state of Chief Ige? Again, the PDP has, no doubt, brought Nigeria unto her knees. The economy is in tatters. Hunger and deprivation rule the land. Deceit, a tradition of treachery and sham are the standards of the PDP. The definition of the party as a ‘nest of killers’ has not changed. The party has also compounded the woes of Nigeria by dragging her into the red light district of global affairs. Yet, this rickety machine has a huge population of people hanging on it, according to election outcome. Here lays the misfortune.

    While Aregbesola campaigned on the basis of a social-economic agenda, like his counterpart in Ekiti, the PDP had no inspiring action plan. What then was responsible for the ‘victory’ of the PDP in Ekiti and the high votes recorded in Osun?  The PDP’s strength is the criminalisation of the electorate through the cultivation of a cult of voters driven by perks and immediate gains. Apart from loads of rice and goodies distributed to voters openly and covertly, the PDP has set up a phantom financial institution code named “Omo Ilu Foundation,” at least in the South West. This group gives out forms to thousands of people. Agents sent by the APC indicated that beneficiaries were asked to take an oath of allegiance. Also the PDP has been attacking reform programmes of the APC, offering in its place, euphoric material gains for the electorate. This, in itself, constitutes a grave danger to the future of political and economic transformation of Nigeria. For a society exposed to long years of deprivation, perks are likely to be seen as more crucial than superstructure. The PDP is giving institutional backing to this backwater axiom. There is the militarisation of the electoral process backed up with denial of human freedom and brute force repression of the opposition.

    After the fiercely contested Osun poll for instance, like the rhythmical movement of a chain of millipedes in the farmstead, a long, orderly crowd of broom-waving supporters snaked through the Osogbo highways. As the crowd milled with glee and unending spasms of joy, a PDP official in a convoy of tainted cars tore through the crowd. Armed masked men that perched like bats on vehicles in the raging convoy released a volley of sporadic gun shots. I remember. We were at a restaurant after an all-night meeting before the election. Five hungry-looking armed men in military fatigue came. Unkempt and in filthy uniforms. They wore beards and slippers, unusual of military men. The ‘soldiers’ had no name tags. One of them had red tattoos on his left cheek. One had the shape of a 12th century wrestler. The other stood like a small bulldozer. Their AK-47s hung loosely on their shoulders.   In military and police tradition, guns, when not in use, should be kept nozzle down. These men kept their guns with nozzles pointed at onlookers. One breast feeding woman had to quit her seat. She quietly walked away into the descending evening cloud. There was naked show of brute force.  After they had finished their dinner-we were all held captive-two of them took strategic positions on the adjacent highway and fired consistently into the sky, hands fidgeting like amateurs. They later left in an unmarked car. People have chilling stories to tell. In the night of Thursday preceding the election, one APC top shot who was my host received a text message that masked armed men were abducting people from their homes in the thickest of night. At the last count, the Commissioner for Regional Integration, Mr. Bashiru Ajibola, said over 200 were arrested in the night preceding the election. In Ekiti, 459 APC leaders were abducted, never to return until after the election. The ‘soldiers’ did not only arrest; they visited homes and collected money meant for mobilisation. Mr. Charles Fasubaa, the General Manager of the Ekiti State Traffic Management Authority, (EKSTMA) was picked from his bedroom and his cash snatched. One leader of APC in Osun was detained all night from Friday until after the election. I was informed that N5million meant for some wards were collected by force from another APC leader in Osun. This apart, I strongly believe PDP rigged the elections in Ekiti and Osun. In the two states, PDP stalwarts were arrested with ballot papers. Where are the ballot papers seized in Ekiti and Osun? Did PDP minimise its rigging tactics in Osun to create a credibility booster? If this heinous plot continues, the other South West states should not expect elections but brutal “war” as warned earlier by the PDP. Therefore, the APC needs real strategic and tactical realignment to deal with a monstrous opponent that has no respect for the rules.  It is infamy that this happened under the nose of Prof Attahiru Jega’s INEC. It is bizarre that INEC consistently describes the elections as free and fair in a malicious rivalry, where in a boxing ring, the umpire watches, as one hand of a contender is tied to the stake. This is my personal submission: gloom is taking its full circle. There needs to be a revolution in Nigeria before we can talk of democracy.

     

    Adeoye, a CNN African Journalist of the Year winner, writes from Lagos.

  • Osun: Aribisala and the fear of APC

    Osun: Aribisala and the fear of APC

    What Nigeria’s brand of politics is a mixed bag of the good, the bad, and of course the ugly tactics of sheer blackmail, barefaced betrayals and subtle subterfuge is stating the obvious. This do-or-die battle field mentality is all because the winner takes it all. Critical observers of the polity should therefore, be driven by the tenets of objectivity and patriotism to say it as it is, and more importantly to make valuable suggestions to fashion the best way out of the political wood.

    It boggles any discerning mind when a citizen, a writer, an associate professor of international affairs and a pastor at that decides willy-nilly, to view a particular political party from the prism of outright hatred and frequent misguided mudslinging. The man in question is none other than Femi Aribisala. The political party that he has chosen, perhaps for pecuniary gains, to be the numero uno traducer is the All Progressives Congress (APC). While more informed minds have hailed its emergence on the nation’s political landscape as a much-needed and timely intervention, to provide a credible opposition and alternative to the behemoth that the PDP has become, Aribisala thinks otherwise.

    If he is not taking on the revered national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a no- holds -barred vitriolic attack asking what more does he really wants, Aribisala would be cooking another poisonous pot fuelled by the wrong reasons why APC is likely to lose Lagos governorship election come 2015. In other climes, his type may be tolerated for providing comic relief as an exception to the rule, but not so in Nigeria. As Vladimir Lenin rightly noted, ‘a lie told often enough becomes the truth’. Our cherished democratic culture cannot afford such political anomaly. Not now. And not ever!

    And that brings us to the recently held gubernatorial election, in the State of  Osun which  incidentally was won by the Independent Newspaper Limited Man-of-the Year and incumbent Governor, Rauf Aregbesola. While not a few political affairs analysts are of the candid opinion that the exemplary preparedness and high level of alertness to plug all loopholes on the part of APC added to the sterling performance of Aregbesola won it for the party, Aribisala has his own theory to it all.

    What he calls ‘crying wolf’ such as the condemnable arrest of the party’s chieftains, including Lai Mohammed, and commissioners on the eve of the election, the harassment of party agents during the exercise and the use of brute force by the security forces against unarmed voters were indeed, all predicted by the APC. It even went further to alert the public to the nefarious collaboration between INEC and the police bulldogs using both the print and electronic media.

    But Aribisala thinks differently. In his words: “Before every election, APC goes to town shouting itself hoarse that the election will be rigged. It brings out all sorts of fictitious documents showing “beyond reasonable doubt” that the PDP, in collusion with the INEC, has perfected outrageous plans to rig the election. Then when it loses, it says “We told you so” and decides to contest the results frivolously in court. Apparently, the only election that is not rigged in Nigeria today is the one that APC wins. At least, we are yet to hear APC say it is going to court to contest the Osun results.”

    How utterly ludicrous one could be! Unknown to him there were conflicting shadows over the purported plan by Iyiola Omisore of the PDP to head to court for redress. He found his defeat under the upper cut blow from the master of the game of politics, Aregbesola too bitter a pill to swallow. But for the prompt acceptance of defeat from the man at Aso Rock, who had a week before raised his hand to the paid crowd and declared him the ‘next governor of Osun’ Omisore would have done so.

    Yet, Aribisala calls it a ‘pyrrhic victory’! Can you beat that? Try to juxtapose this piece with the reality on ground. Said he : “Before the election in Osun, the APC went to town telling the whole world it would be rigged. Every so often, it came out with broadsides as to the discovery of fresh plans to rig the election which it discovered through its detective agency. Its Sherlock Holmes in this regard is Lai Mohammed, its Publicity Secretary. Lai Mohammed has the unique capacity to smell smoke where there is no fire whatsoever. These days, whenever he makes an announcement, it is to cry wolf yet again.”

    Unfortunately he has forgotten the wise counsel from Wendell Philips that: “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”. So good and timely that the APC knew this axiom and put it to full use. Let us consider the nitty-gritty of  Philpot Curran’s statement, “The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he breaks, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt.”

    The APC learnt lasting lessons from this. No more would it want the good people of Osun, nay Nigeria to remain helpless and voiceless slaves to the overbearing PDP-controlled central government that has said more than it has done on the critical issue of transformative leadership. Little wonder its governors are up and doing when it comes to good governance.

    For instance, Governor Aregbesola has discharged his mandate to his people to the best of his government’s capacity and abilities, in spite of the lean purse. He exhibited the rare traits of a politician adequately prepared for the challenging tasks of governance. Also, he is one who thinks and acts outside the box, propelled by high dose of creativity.

    He frontally tackled the monster of youth unemployment with Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (O,YES). That has actively engaged some 40,000 young citizens with 5,000 others trained in ICT. That is no mean feat. His government raised the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from a paltry N300 million to N1.5 billion, without increasing tax. That speaks volumes about a visionary leader. There is also the N4.2 billion fixed in state reserve and the establishment of a Debt Management Office (DMO). That is judicious use of public funds which the corruption-riddled PDP should learn from.

    In addition to the N1 billion support for the rural farmers, about 1,765 hectares of land have been cleared for profitable use. Even the PDP could not accuse him of neglecting ‘stomach infrastructure’, Aregbesola can proudly show them  the daily feeding of over 240,000 Osun Elementary  school children and the economic empowerment of 3,000 caterers.

    Similarly, the giant strides in infrastructural development with durable roads and the Ede Water Works capacity raised from 13 per cent to 30 per cent all stand him in good stead. Add these to the ground-breaking Opo Imo educative tablet for students applauded internationally.

    Osun people can recount similar achievements in the sectors of health care services, agriculture, tourism and transportation which was why they appreciated him through the resounding victory at the polls. With 394,684 representing 55.02 per cent out of 11 parties and beating his closest rival by 101,973 votes, there are lessons for the PDP to learn.

    One is that good and effective leadership is the sine qua non to re-election not propaganda. The second is the need for intra-party unity. While the PDP in Osun State has suffered internal crisis the same cannot be said of the APC. Also important is the need to effectively counter misinformation and all acts of deliberate mischief.

    The likes of Aribisala and his conscienceless sponsors should make out time for sober reflection. If the seed of democracy would flourish and flower to fruition the people’s interests must be uppermost in the minds of all the stakeholders, especially the political leaders. No matter how long it may take truth would always overtake falsehood. Well done, Aregbesola. Well done APC. The tasks ahead are enormous but Osun has set the template for more victories. PDP’s misadventure in the South-West and its desire to win by crook instead of hook would remain nothing but a pipe-dream.