By Uche Mbah
It is a story foretold. All the signs were there. Most sane Nigerians were nervous. They were nervous wrecks. Politician were not among them. They talked carelessly. They spoke as if there will be no tomorrow. They were arrogant. Every of their speech was an incitement of the worst order. They beat war drums. And they told lies every inch of the way.
In Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, former PDP two- term governor Godswill Akpabio, who was also the PDP Minority Senate leader, now recently of the APC, threatened that the campaign to win the PDP state for his new party will be like war, or worse. In Rivers state, former PDP two-time governor, now, of the APC, and now, Minister for Transportation, broke every decorum, before the President, Muhammadu Buhari, and other APC leaders, and aroused shocked Nigerians with an Igbo war song. As he sang, he danced it. In Abeokuta, Ogun state, the President and his entourage were booed, and pelted with stones and sachets of pure water.
Their actions were war. Their spoken language was worse. And, there are many more. It is, therefore, no surprise that the Presidential and National Assembly election held on February 23 would go down into Nigeria’s history as the bloodiest. To some extent, it is also the most brazenly disrupted.
In the Southern part of the country the violence was so bad that it caused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to cancel the exercise in some parts of Lagos, Anambra and Rivers states. Violence and deaths trailed the exercise in those states.
In Lagos state, at least, one man, an alleged ballot box snatcher, was beaten to stupor and, finally set ablaze by a mob, consisting of angry voters he and his alleged comrades in crime brazenly burnt the votes they had already cast. In Rivers state, about 15 people were killed including a Lieutenant between Bonny and Akukutori LGAs. The Nigerian army admits to killing six “thugs” who ambushed them, and in the shootout that ensued, killed the Lieutenant. And there were more deaths country-wide.
In Bayelsa state, the official photographer of the Governor, Seriake Dickson, was shot to death. For Dickson, who pointed accusing fingers at his predecessor, Timipre Sylva, it was double jeopardy. His finger print was not authenticated by the Card Reader, the fate which also befell some other people, including Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello and his two wives.
The Card Reader generally was reported to have failed in most areas in the South, with many resorting to incident forms to allow people to vote.
Dickson described acts following the election in the states as “acts of brigandage and terrorism”
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state, while expressing outrage at the violence, lamented the alleged active collision of the Army with the Rivers APC Leadership in the intimidation of voters and ballot box snatchers.
It will be recalled that, prior to the 2015 elections, there was a court ruling that outlawed the use of the army in election issues. Only recently, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, had insisted that the courts has said that the army had no business with elections.
Meanwhile collations are continuing all over the country. As usual, political parties have been busy posting fake results, each trying to give advantage to their candidates.
