By Chuks Osuji
There is no doubt that money changing hands in Nigerian’s Electoral System has been known as integral part of our elections. It is for this reason that Nigeria’s electoral system has been known as a system of the highest bidder. However, all along the practice which began in 1999, was initially restricted to vote buying at the polling centers.
However, the entry of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku with the desperation to become Nigeria’s President, there has been gradual expansion and extension of such practice. The practice came to a highest peak during the last process before the PDP Primaries held to choose the flag bearer for the presidency, held in Abuja.
In fact, it is a well-known truth known to many Nigerians particularly those in the Corruption Prevention Management, Security Operatives and members of every political party, particularly the leading opposition party in the country, the PDP and to many Journalists both local and foreign that the practice of money changing hands in our Electoral Process is very rampant in PDP. Unfortunately, the practice becomes so scandalous during the last Primary Elections culminating to the selection of party torch bearers at the various executive, legislative elections. It did not begin with the National Primaries to pick some of the party’s aspirants.
According to various allegations, that of the PDP began during the last PDP Convention to elect members of its National Electoral Committee (NEC). Many Political observers noticed the process through which Dr. Iyocha Ayu emerged through the making of Atiku’s strategies who apparently penetrated the convention ground to ensure that Ayu be elected the PDP Chairman which would make it easier for Atiku to get the PDP Presidential Ticket. They did not waste time in sitting down to make out their strategies. And since it is believed that Atiku has over-flowing money to spend, to ensure that throughout the country, particularly the members of the NEC were Atiku’s favourites.
Of course, Atiku’s men were not unmindful of Wike’s invincible resources which were buoyantly at the disposal of the Governor, who many political watchers have suspected that indeed his style of Governance and consistent publicity of some powerful electronic Media Houses was enough to suspect that indeed, he was planning for something big. Governor Wike’s strategies including a tactics of over publicizing every of his Government activities on National Television including inviting high profile Nigerians of different political consideration to be coming to Rivers to highlight and launch his completed projects of whatever kind and consideration.
Thus, having succeeded in installing Ayu as the PDP National Chairman, they were sure that they had made the big catch.
However, initially, many Nigerians were deceived because, they did not know that Atiku’s grand strategy was to capture with money and anybody placed on a strategic position suing Atiku’s financial invincibility to dialogue such person or persons.
For example, PDP had as part of its Constitution the Principle of Power Rotation in its Constitution, that is, the party’s Chairman coming from the North, the Presidential Ticket would go to the South. But this did not happen with members of Kangaroo Committee under Samuel Ortom which should have insisted on the Rotation principle, was dislodged by Atiku’s financial maneuvering. Today, that is why many Nigerians are calling for the resignation of today’s PDP Chairman for deceiving the country into believing that his NEC should uphold the Rotation Principle of the party.
Even when few members of the Zoning Committee were boxed to corner, it was alleged that to members of the Ortom’s Zoning Committee, one from the South and one from the North pitched tent with Atiku’s men around hence abrupt postponement of that Committee’s siting for another day, to enable the Atiku’s strategists perfect the corrupt arrangement.
This was the reason why Ortom’s Zoning Committee failed to upheld the party’s Rotational formula which has turned out to be the bane of the party’s chain on its NEC for which the party would pay heavily during the Presidential Election ,next year when they would realize that the powerful influence of Atiku’s dollars would have cost them the Presidential race, which today was the reason of the massive defections from the PDP including its most brilliant and prosperous Aspirant, Peter Obi.
In fact and indeed, Nigerians citizens are delusional with what has been going on in the country in all fact of the National Life – high cost of living, disappearance of the middle class, the poor becoming poorer and poorer, the rich could not withhold the menacing konometers of the poor and above all the uncontrollable insecurity menace nationwide for which the current APC government have so far failed to stop.
With all these, the entire Nigerian populace was perhaps anxiously looking for change from the government. The entrance of His Excellency, Dr. Peter Obi into the Presidential race perhaps, gave many Nigerians hope.
It is the believe of many Nigerians that if the Rotational Principle of PDP has been upheld, Peter Obi would have been elected the flag bearer of PDP.
It is interesting to hear Wike describing Peter Obi as a political theorist. But he forgets to know that in every human activity, the functional aspect of every human behaviour would begin in theory.
Why did Peter Obi overnight become a household name across the country? His style of campaign in telling the middle class and the generality of downtrodden Nigerians what their problems are and how he could resolve them, and since he knew that he could not match the financial empire of Atiku and Wike, his campaign was making waves.
Since he has ideas but do not have the financial empire built around him like Atiku and Wike, he was frustrated out of PDP race.
In fact, with PDP loosing Peter Obi, the party has lost campaign steam. Because, for the first time, Nigerian voters are likely to shine their eyes at the poll in a way Peter Obi and his steaming supporters in PDP and outsiders may gnash their teeth today but they will definitely smile after the election of 2023. Because, frustration, suffering and abject poverty and insecurity have taught them lessons.
Because by my own calculation as a political scientist, if Nigerians of goodwill would listen to new order, Atiku and Wike will realize what a Crab realizes when it came out of water and enters the woman’s pot of soup , that all waters are not the same.
Finally, there will be one caveat and that is those who want a real change in the country must go and get their PVCs. Because nobody, but nobody can win election from internet. Indeed, this is crucial moment.
NIGERIA NEWSPOINT
