5th January, 2011
For three consecutive times I have heard Professor Attahiru Jega, the Chairman of INEC telling anybody who cares to listen that we should not expect a perfect elections come 2011. The first time he raised the alarm I did not take it seriously because I reasoned that he was trying to be sincere and honest and that he was just an ordinary and common person saddled with extraordinary and uncommon challenges.
When I read it again a second time and even a third time I began to get worried. I am worried in the sense that Jega is sending signals that he may not be able to handle this very important job. I am worried to my marrows and bones that things might go wrong if Jega continues to sound defeatist even before the elections. I am totally devastated by Jega’s frequent outbursts on what is likely to become of 2011 elections when we are yet to get there. I am deeply worried because it is becoming obvious to me that the clueless touts and potential riggers in the house of maggots called PDP may be working on Jega.
Come to think of it, almost 150 million Nigerians added voices together to welcome Jega as the new INEC Chairman after Professor Maurice Iwu’s electoral heists of 2007. We believed that Professor Jega we all know, judging from his antecedents, can do things differently. They gave Jega all the support in the world to stop riggers in Nigeria come 2011 so that our beloved country will join the comity of well respected nations in the world. They told Jega that he is going to be an instant hero if he can rescue Nigeria from the bottomless pit where PDP has left her.
When Jega asked for 86 billion naira to do the job we supported that the money should be given to him if that is what it will take to rid Nigeria of electoral fraudsters. We supported that the money should be paid because we understand Dr John Maxwell’s Law of the Price Tag which says that the team fails to reach its potentials when it fails to pay the price.
All these hopes are now being threatened because Jega cannot speak confidently about his capacity and capability to deliver in 2011. Jega is now surrendering dangerous weapons to election riggers by insisting that we should not expect a perfect election in 2011. Ah! Ah!! Is Jega saying that miracles cannot happen? Is Jega saying that it is difficult to achieve a perfect election in Nigeria? If I were Jega I would not have expressed those fears at all. I will insist that it is a perfect election or nothing and if at the end of the day I get something less I know Nigerians will forgive me.
To begin now to throw his hands up in total surrender is to tear away the confidence Nigerians reposed in him when he came on board. To continue to raise alarm on 2011 elections is to dash people’s hopes and trust. Jega must talk less now but plan big. If conducting elections is a process, Jega must show us his plan A & B now. What we want to hear now is how Jega will free Nigeria from the firm grip of pretenders, predators and scavengers. It is possible! Yes we can do it!!
— Joe Igbokwe
