THE 'GAME CHANGER' SHOULD BE CHANGED. - ENENIM UBON

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something but I can't accept not trying. - Micheal Jordan


In January 2014 when PDP announced that Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu was taking over from Alhaji Bamanga Tukur,  members of the party looked forward to having a chairman who would galvanize the party ahead of the just concluded general elections. Party members and supporters hoped for a chairman that would unite the party and woo back disgruntled members who were already seeking succour elsewhere. Being a two term governor of Bauchi state and having remained in the party since 1999 despite losing his senatorial bid in 2007, it was believed Mu'azu had all it takes to lead the party to 'battle' - this believe earned him the nick name 'game changer'.


Did he actually change the game? Yes he did, but obviously not in favour of his party and certainly not in accordance with the expectations of its members and supporters. As a matter of fact, members of the party are still wondering what hit the green,white and red umbrella. The 'political tsunami' has torn the umbrella almost to shreds and even the 'game changer' could/can do nothing about it.

On his resumption at Wadata Plaza, the number of states with PDP governors were eighteen(18), with the defection of governor Mimiko and election of governor Fayose the number increased to twenty(20). This number excludes states like Adamawa and Rivers that had APC governors but with an active PDP population. Governorship elections were conducted in sixteen(16) of the twenty(20) states, when the dust had settled PDP had lost eight(8) of the sixteen(16) plus Adamawa. The most embarrassing, is the party's defeat in Bauchi state - the home state of the party chairman, FCT minister and with a sitting PDP governor. I do not know what else would define failure, if this does not.


In Kogi state, the PDP lost ALL senatorial sits to the opposition. In Benue, Senate President David Mark is the only senatorial aspirant from PDP to pull through - a sitting governor inclusive. The party under Mu'azu has lost its majority status in both chambers of the national assembly. All of these point to the fact that the PDP under Mu'azu performed woefully at the polls.


As Micheal Jordan stated in the quote I used to begin this piece, 'actual' failure is in not trying at all. The 'game changer' tried his best but obviously it was not good at all, not to talk of being enough. It is therefore expected that he steps aside for another person to try and rebuild what's left of the PDP.


A lot of factors have contributed to the PDP's present predicament. Even the immediate past chairman has acknowledged that “the lack of adherence to internal democracy was responsible for the PDP's defeat”. There is hardly any state where this did not manifest. From Kano to Adamawa, Benue, Plateau, Lagos, Nassarawa etc. Popular candidates were substituted with friends and allies of party chieftains. In some cases even the panels set up to handle post-primary issues were also hijacked by the chosen candidates. In some states primaries did not even take place, while some others had theirs conducted in Abuja in accordance with the wishes of 'powers that be'. Some of these aggrieved aspirants left the party and ended up defeating the anointed candidates of the PDP. Those who stayed back and whose complains fell on deaf ears, worked against the party from inside. All of these is past tense now.


With the elections concluded, the PDP needs to be repositioned to be a serious opposition not one of those 'aligning' parties and having failed in his previous assignment Adamu Mu'azu should step aside for someone else to take up this task - but knowing our leaders, I have my doubts.


I have listened to people say he should be allowed to rebuild the party - this is laughable. If eight(8) states with PDP governors were lost under him as chairman of the ruling party, I wonder how many more will be lost under him as chairman of an opposition party. Mr chairman may still have fresh ideas but he can contribute same from the sidelines. For some of us who watch football, form matters a lot; a good player can be benched by his/her coach simply because he is not at his/her best at the moment. The game changer lost his form at a time his party desperately needed his dribbling skills, the HONOURABLE thing to do is to step away from the scene accepting that he did the best he could.



Alhaji Mu'azu should follow the footsteps of party leaders in recent history who resigned after leading their parties to landslide defeats:
* In November 2014: Taiwan's premier Jiang Yi-huah announced his resignation after his party lost a number of strongholds
*In September 2014 Scottish Nationalist Leader Alex Salmond resigned after  Scottish voters rejected independence and decided that they wanted to remain in Britain
*Neil Gordon Kinnock  resigned as (British Labour Party) leader and resigned from the House of Commons,following Labour's defeat in the 1992 general election.
*John Major former prime minister of United Kingdom announced his resignation(immediately after the election) as party leader after losing by landslide to Labour party.


Sincerely I do not see Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu quitting his position without a fight(I really hope he proves me wrong though), but if he loves his party(as he claims) he will not wait for the agitation for his removal to take another dimension because what his party needs right now is a united front to confront what is coming and prepare well in advance for 2019. Having failed woefully in his first and much simpler assignment, the second one will be too big for him.


For the PDP members who believe he should step aside, inasmuch as I share your sentiments, caution should be applied so as not to pull the entire house down. Chasing the chairman and his crew out of the party will be a wrong move. His experience will still be needed by the next person in order to avoid the 'landmines' he missed this time.


I hope the PDP does the necessary 'house cleaning', restrategizes and reposition itself well ahead of 2019 and most importantly avoids the mistakes of the past; but before that can be done, those who led the party to its worst electoral outing need to take a bow and leave.


Mr 'game changer' you came(to Wadata Plaza), you saw but did not conquer. It is time to pass the torch to another.




Enenim Ubon tweets from @EnenimUbon

TIME IN IT'S ENTIRETY. - Eddy Eyo

Friends, this is one thing in life that is very IMPORTANT but often less talked about or regarded as a valuable commodity. Kindly spare a few minutes of yours to really understand what it is in reality.

TAKE NOTE OF THESE THOUGHTS:

*What you are and what you will become is dependent on how you use your TIME.

*TIME can't be stopped but can be effectively managed.

TIME AND LIFE:

*Time is life.

*Life is time.

*Life is defined as time.

*Life is measured by time.

*Life is determined by time.

*Life is qualified by time.

*Life is lived out in time.

*Life stops when time stops.

*The passing of time is passing of life.

*Time is temporary but life is eternal.

*Time could be a blessing or a curse.

TREASURE IT.


DEFINITION OF TIME:

Time could be defined as -

*An interruption in eternity.

*Small measure of eternity.

*A piece of eternity.

*It is a slice of forever.

*It is a limited period during which an action or process exist and take place.

*Time is the measurements of space.

*It is the passing of existence.

*God created time and placed us in it so we can live life in doses.

APPRECIATE IT.

PURPOSE OF TIME:

*To take us out of eternity .

*To protect us from forever .

*To measure the existence of life .

*To define life.

*To measure the quality of life .

*To account for life spent so far.

*To define the distance between our beginning and end.

*To live life in doses.

*To measure the purpose of life.

FULFILL IT


MEASURE OF TIME:

*Time actually measures life in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years.

*Time measures life in Mornings, Noon, Afternoon and Evenings.

*Time measures life in yesterday, today and tomorrow.

*Time measures life in day and night.

*Time measures life in seasons (Winter, Autumn, Summer and Spring).

MAKE IT COUNT


THE EQUALITY OF TIME:

*It is the only commodity that is common to all mankind.

*It is the only commodity we all possess.

*Every human on planet earth is given the same ration of time (24 hours), not more or less.

APPROPRIATE IT


VALUE OF TIME:

*Everyone on earth are where they are today depending on how they have used their time.

*Time is the currency of life.

*Time is used to buy life.

*Time is so powerful that whatever you spend your time on, you become.

*Time gives us time to drop some relationships that are detrimental to the measure of our life and a time to make some more relationships that will add more value to our time.

VALUE IT.



FACTS ABOUT TIME:

*Time is money.

*Time can be abused.

*Time can be stolen.

*Time can be lost.

*Time can be depreciated.

*Time can be appreciated.

*Time can squandered.

*Time can be devalued.

*Time can be revalued(after being lost by adjusting it to focus on things that are productive).

*Procrastination kills time and postpones it to the future.

MAXIMIZE IT.


LIMITATIONS OF TIME:

*You can never stop time.

*You can never control time.

*You can never resist time.

*You can never compromise with time.

*You can never repossess time.

*You can never buy time.

*You can never slow down time.

*You can never speed up time.

*Until death, you are stuck in time.

MANAGE IT.


WHAT TO DO WITH TIME:

*Manage it or it will manage your life for you.

*Use it, your life depends on it.

*Appropriate it,it is yours.

*Invest on it so as to gain it.

*Convert it into something productive and valuable.

*Time should be used to INITIATE, CREATE, DEVELOP, BUILD AND ADD VALUE TO THE LIFE THAT EXISTS IN IT.

*Use time to fulfill your divine purpose.

MAKE IT PRODUCTIVE.


HOW TO REDEEM YOUR TIME:

*By taking ownership and control of your time.

*By converting it into opportunity to fulfill your purpose.

*By designing your days to create value in life.

*By managing how it is being used.

*By protecting it.

*By allocating it a focus.

*By giving it a vision.

*By apportioning purpose to it.

*By measuring it results.

*By knowing it's worth and value.

REDEEM IT.


KEYS TO REDEEMING TIME:

*Document a plan.

*Establish your priorities.

*Pursue your passion only.

*Protect your plan and priorities.

*Identity what you value.

*Make decisions based on destiny.

*Inventory your associations and see who is wasting your time.

*Review your investments of time.

*Do not try to please everyone it encourages time wastage.

*Forget about the past and begin to pursue and design your future now.

*Learn and gain mastery of your time and also when it is time to take actions.

PROPER MANAGEMENT OF TIME GUARANTEES A FULFILLED DESTINY.

I BELIEVE THAT WITH THIS REMINDER, YOU WOULD MAXIMIZE THE NEXT FEW SECONDS OF YOUR LIFE AND MAKE IT COUNT BY ADHERING TO THESE INSIGHTS. IT IS MY TIME POURED OUT TO YOU.
MAKE YOUR LIFE COUNT BY MAXIMIZING YOUR TIME TODAY, STAY INSPIRED AND BLESSED.

Comedian Aregbesola and his Osun state Audience - Enenim Ubon

I always thought the last I would see of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola comedy skills is his appearing in various school uniforms with matching knee-length socks and long-faced shoes; alas I was wrong. Here is a governor who constantly makes a mockery of not only his office but also his 'blind' and sentimental followers. The worst hit by his latest actions are the workers of Osun state, whom I feel no pity for. Theirs is a classic case of “the people getting a government they deserve”. The people of Osun state(civil servants inclusive) reelected this man and even celebrated his victory(even when it was obvious he didn't wish them well); I hope by the time the show is offer, they won't be tales of workers dying of starvation.


Prior to his reelection in August 2014, the government of Osun state was unable to pay salaries(but spent billions on campaigns and financing of thugs for 'election duties'). The excuse then was that the Jonathan led government was deliberately withholding funds meant for opposition states - the truth is gradually coming to fore. How he pulled one over the Osun state workforce remains a mystery(when one considers how the PDP has been rejected by the workforce in Benue and Kogi states over the same issue); most surprising is that the people of Osun never considered that any government which cannot pay salaries in an election year is most likely to owe many more months after election. The fruits of their naivety is what they are reaping.


In 2013, Ogbeni came up with Opon Imo. Whoever sold the idea to him is a 'genius' and deserves commendation for not only conning his excellency but for also exposing the mental capacity of our social media intellectuals who hyped the scam and could not see the project was a channel to embezzle funds and (as time has revealed) was 'dead on arrival' - largely due to approach,implementation and MOTIVE. N8,300,000,000 was spent on the first 50,000 pieces. This amount spent on each 50,000 pieces of the Opon Imo(if there ever was another set) would have taken the abandoned projects in Osun state to a reasonable level of completion but baba was much more interested in 'cornering' money for his reelection. So obvious was the Opon Imo scam that the Late Senator Uche Chukwumerije withdrew his earlier endorsement of the project. The questions then are: How many of this device have been delivered after 2 years? Where is the money budgeted for it? Wouldn't the money be useful in this of starvation(for the Osun workers).




Recently it has been widely reported that the Osun state government intends to stop the feeding program(Omeal). Reports have it that “the state government is also planning a review of the state's free health program for children and the elderly and may recommend that parents be made to pay a little levy for each child in school”. The questions that arise from the above are: a) Where these projects not well thought-out and planned for before implementation? b) Where the projects meant to be mere political projects to deceive the osun electorates into re-electing ogbeni? If it was, it worked perfectly. I read a comment from someone which suggested that the reason governor Aregbesola intends to stop the free meals because the incoming federal government of his party intends to replicate same across the country - how laughable.




Despite the many troubles at home,governor Aregbesola is still fingered in the Ekiti impeachment debacle knowing his antecedents this is easily believable. The man is an entertainer indeed! With uncompleted projects like roads and the much hyped ultra modern school building etc all abandoned, that ogbeni still has money to spend on frivolities is to say the least befuddling. What a man!




While the workers of Osun state mourn and look to the heavens, I hope the comedian listens to their pleas and saves them from starvation soon. In the event he does not, at least the lesson would be learnt “all that glitters is not gold”. If this continues for another 4 months, the number of workers that will survive I know not but one thing I know, the people(workers) will be a lot wiser(even more) than their colleagues in Benue,Kogi,Rivers etc. Till then I wish the Osun people well. May these 6 months of penury be over soonest and may Osun state not experience this kind of dry jokes ever again!




Enenim Ubon tweets from @EnenimUbon

THE EMPEROR TEARS CANNOT SAVE - By Enenim Ubon

The 2015 general elections has come and gone but the occurrences during the period will be quite valuable to students of history. I am very certain that within the next four years a lot more will unfold.

No matter the side of the political divide, the consensus is that the elections was to a large extent not free an fair. As a matter of fact Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega and his INEC team put up an abysmal performance. All the things we witnessed during the tenures of Professor Maurice Iwu and Dr Abel Guobadia (multiple thumb printing, snatching of ballot boxes, falsification of results, late or no arrival of election materials, bribery of electoral officers and the newest trick - voting of underage kids in the north, as confessed to by Kano state governor) all resurfaced once again. Since Jega's card readers could not perform the much anticipated magic, I hope INEC comes up with 'heart readers' by 2019!

The above facts not withstanding, electorates(in few states) showed an understanding of some of the issues on ground. For example, in Benue the people proved to Governor Suswam that you cannot owe salaries and expect the people to return your party at various levels. Unlike their Osun state counterparts who are comfortable with not receiving their wages - believing it is a dividend of democracy!

Rivers state is another state were the people unanimously decided to pay the weeping emperor in his own coin. For Rivers people it is "an eye for an eye". Under Rotimi Amaechi's watch, the courts have been shut for almost a year(ironically he became a governor through a court ruling). Under this emperor primary health care workers have been on strike for 8 months(this is the closest form of health care available to the rural populace whose votes he sort for his party). His flippant tongue added more "salt to injury"; not to mention his outward show of disregard for the rule of law, with his 'remote controlled' house of assembly sitting in his bedroom to do his bidding. Emperor Amaechi's case is like that of the king who went around dancing naked under the illusion that he wore a magic apparel.

With each passing day, more and more Rivers people realized their governor was leading the state towards anarchy; with each careless(as has become his trademark) utterance, he further deemed the chances of his party in the state. With every media opportunity he got, he bragged of how Rivers State is APC unknown to him the "glory had departed", he had(has)become an empty barrel. His last card was playing ethnic politics of "an ikwerre man succeeding another ikwerre man" - on a 'good day' his message could have made sense to his audience but here was a messenger who had lost all credibility. With uncompleted projects scattered all over the states(the monorail "cartoon network" being the most outstanding), to outright corrupt practices, land grab for selfish reasons etc Amaechi believed money could buy every body or solve all problems hence the spending spree he embarked on during the campaigns. If there is any lesson he ought to learn, it is that money cannot buy everything(VP slot inclusive).


On Saturday 11th April 2015, Rivers people in one accord decided to send Rotimi Amaechi on 'exile' to Abuja, with a clear message of outright rejection. The abysmal performance of the APC in Rivers State has rendered Amaechi's political associates jobless, all because "their oga no know map"! This may/may not be a sign that Wike is the 'dream lover' but it is certainly a sign that a people have rejected the crying emperor - who has taken it upon himself to accuse everybody (Senator Musliu Obanikoro inclusive) but himself for his failings both as a governor and a state party leader.

Dr Dakuku Peterside's loss is quite pathetic(when one considers the 'embarrassing' margin). Maybe he would have been a better governor, that we may never find out(honestly I am not interested in finding that out though), he is a victim of his inability to choose his friends properly. I hope his boss remembers him in his 'Abuja paradise' but knowing Amaechi and how unruly he is, only time will tell how long his romance with the hausa-fulani cabal will last.

My sincere wish is that Nyesom Wike will be the governor Amaechi never was and further prove to some of us who were skeptical(for a while) about his candidacy, that some of the things said about his personality are mere propaganda. The stakes are a lot higher now, this I am sure Chief Wike knows and considering the election result majority of Rivers people are with him.

Pending when Amaechi relocates to Abuja, I hope he enjoys the task(of weeping) he has given himself. When he realizes that Chief Nyesom Wike has the mandate of the people and that the election in Rivers state cannot be cancelled, he will save himself red eyes and headache. Since Mr Amaechi has decided to become an 'election result activist'(despite being an election day offender) he should start by screaming about the 'day light robbery' in Lagos and the underage voters in Northern Nigeria. Only then will his audience take him serious; till then he can "cry me a river", it does not matter one bit.


Rivers state is happy. Emperor Amaechi has lost his throne and no amount tears can save the rejected emperor from his pains.





 Enenim Ubon tweets from @EnenimUbon

CHANGE AN INEVITABLE COMMODITY IN LIFE. - By Eddy Eyo

Experiencing Life thus far, I would say:

 

IT IS THE ONLY PERMANENT THING THAT TAKES PLACE IN LIFE ,BUT WE CAN REGULATE "HOW' AND "WHEN" IT SHOULD HAPPEN.

 

Interestingly, we have the following kinds of 'CHANGE';

CHANGE that happens 'TO US'

CHANGE that happens 'AROUND US'

CHANGE that happens 'WITHIN US' and

CHANGE that 'WE MAKE HAPPEN'.

 

 

Either ways, some of those MUST HAPPEN AS LONG AS YOU HAVE LIFE IN YOU as a result the following kinds of PEOPLE emerges;

People who WATCH THINGS HAPPEN,

People who LET THINGS HAPPEN,

People who ASK WHAT HAPPEN and

People who MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

 

 

The goodnews is...,YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DECIDE WHICH OF THOSE CHANGES MUST HAPPEN TO YOU; BECAUSE IT MUST DEFINITELY TAKE PLACE .

DECIDE TO BECOME AN AGENT OF CHANGE RATHER THAN BECOMING A VICTIM OF CHANGE.

 

BECOMING AN AGENT OF CHANGE ENTAILS THAT YOU HAVE DECIDED BEFORE HAND HOW THE CHANGE HAPPENS AND NOT THE REVERSE.

 

Remember its INEVITABLE but you have all it takes to regulate how it manifest in your Life and your domain.

 

 

THE WORLD IS IN ABRUPT NEED OF AGENTS OF CHANGE, DETERMINE WITHIN YOU TO BECOME ONE TODAY STARTING FROM WHERE YOU ARE CURRENTLY AND WITH WHATEVER YOU HAVE.

 

 

THAT'S ALL THAT REALLY COUNTS.

 

 

 

 

 @eddy eyo.

 

THE BEST RIGGER WINS - By Anny Justin Udofia

Eleven fifteen a.m.

Three hours beyond the time scheduled for all vehicular movement to have stopped - and we were still on the roads. The air was still not free from the dampness that permeates most coastal West Africa mornings. I had earlier completed the accreditation process in my Polling Unit -a simple process which had become rather tedious, encumbered by the malfunctioning of the Permanent Voter's Card Reader machines- and, but for meeting three other friends, would just have gone back home to wait till voting commenced.

  

Armed with a car- owned by one of my friends, our PVCs and an adventurous, daring-spirit; four of us headed out into the roads for a bit of Election-day adventure.

Before this, rumours of grab-and-run of electioneering materials in other units had filtered into our polling unit.

In nearby Afaha Ibesikpo, it had been a big fiasco as youths from the two big political sides were said to have clashed and fought over the box. Casualties were recorded. In Ikot Iko, the opposition had scored clean: stowing the voting box, electioneering materials, INEC ad-hoc staff and even corp- members into an awaiting bus and absconding with all of it. In such cases, the helpless voters would be left in a pitiful state, bleary-eyed and totally cheated out of their franchise rights.

 

We had driven out, the Toyota camry running almost noiselessly over the smooth tarmac. Inside, we were toying with so many ideas and defense mechanisms (in case we were accosted on our way). We could claim to be a monitoring team or claim we were returning after accreditation to where we lived. We could feign ignorance- about the restriction on movement after eight in the morning.

"Olboy, I hear say na AIG dem send come Uyo o!", one guy had said from the back seat, affirming the rumour that the Assistant-Inspector-General of police had been assigned to Uyo senatorial zone for election duties.

"Make we no meet am for road o!", the second guy at the back seat warned.

"Hum! Dem fit think say we be picking-box boy's o!", I had quipped from the front passenger seat, using our recent coinage to refer to the youths who engaged in the act of grabbing election materials and disenfranchising the voters. In our area as well as other parts of the state, stealing the election materials was the only surety at winning the polls. Some youths are usually unleashed on election days to steal electioneering materials for whoever employs them. Recently, we had coined a name for them: picking-box boys. It is rumoured that safe delivery of these electioneering materials to the political racketeers who needed them to rig elections, attracted a huge financial emolument, attractive enough to motivate these boys into a grab-the-box-and-run frenzy. It was a youth run business and our youths had embraced it totally. Just like the fulanis identified with flogging at betrothal ceremonies; it was a show of guts, a proof of manliness for the youths that engaged in the business.

We had not driven far when we met the first security blockade in front of Boeclar Memorial School. It was manned by the hated, shabby and near-powerless black uniformed policemen. We didn't have to convince them to let us pass, we just had to buy our way- and a crisp hundred naira note did the magic. Almost automatically, we were saluted and bid farewell.

For another five minutes we drove on a near deserted Aka-Obot-Idim dual carriage way, passing the prestigious Lutheran High School. The chitchat inside the car had climbed a crescendo; then came a hush.

The silence came as we saw a great population on the road ahead of us. We were being waved from both sides to slow down, which we momentarily heeded. On the middle of the road was a sizeable crowd of uniforms. The AIG and his entourage of policemen, Federal Road Safety Corps, few Army men and Highway marshals were gathered there as we were told. We quickly alighted and left the car at the roadside about hundred metres behind them.

We had barely alighted, than the case at hand was told to us. The APC "picking-box team" had hijacked election materials from the polling unit in Ikot Ambon and another from Ikot Oduot and where on their way out when they ran into the ATS squad. There was a brief exchange of shots and driving bravado for them to be able to escape. While some had spilled onto the road leaving the tarmac littered with papers, a huge portion of the election materials was still in their possession when they escaped. The AIG and his team had come along later.

On hearing this, I had advanced on foot, a bit ahead, to the spot where the supposed AIG was interviewing some members of the disenfranchised citizens of the area. I was not interested in hearing what he was asking as I was to ascertain if it was the AIG Adisa Bolanta, who was purportedly sent to Akwa Ibom State. It must have been him with all the rank-buttons, dangling medals, multi-colour breast patch, feathers-on-cap, aplomb and heavy stand-on-guards. On the other hand, it might have been any other such high ranking Policeman since I couldn't steal a glance at his name tag from the distance- obscured by the heavy police-guard presence around him. I blame my ever-failing sight for that. Ten minutes later, a canister of teargas was shot at the tire of a fleeing red Volkswagen Jetta. 

 Someone in the crowd had pointed the occupants of the Jetta as some of the members of the picking-box team. The Jetta sped away unhindered. Though it is a strong car, it wouldn't have escaped if the police had shot a bullet directly through its tyre or at the driver. Since they didn't, I marveld at their professionalism and reverence for human life. This lent credence to the fact that it must have been the AIG team for real. Fifteen minutes later, the team had collated some information and headed away with scanty siren sounds. We allowed five minutes in-between us and them, and followed towards Nung Udoe.

  

At Nung Udoe, we encountered more combat ready ATS teams and had several close shaves. After we had parked near the Council headquarters and blended into the crowd, more drama began to unfold; and more stories too.

 

The APC picking-box-team came: shots were fired, the crowd "heltered", the PDP stand-down team fired back, the Police fired canisters of tear gas, we ran, INEC staff "skeltered", we came back moments later, a figure with a bullet wound to the head was writhing on the ground; one dead. The ballot box still sat where we left it.

The PDP picking-box-team came: same cycle- helter-skelter, more casualties. The ballot box still sat precariously. At some moment, while running along with the crowd, I ran into a stronghold held by the APC in one of the hamlets. I was laid on the mud and flogged thoroughly. Claiming I was a discreet election monitor sympathetic to their cause and having snapped some election related pictures with my blackberry cellphone- to give credence, became the only saving grace; I would have been lynched. I know others must have faced same or worse fates. At the end, the AIG came and it was decided the two political sides should join team and guard the electioneering materials. So, elections were held on ground, but most of the electorate who could not stand the whiffs of gunshots and apprehensions could not venture to vote. Stories filtered in from different quarters.

"Did, you hear APC stole everything in ward ten?"

"That is toy story, the PDP took all units in ward one, two and three".

"I think the PDP has rigged more than the APC".

"Someone fell from a bus which had stolen electioneering materials in ward five. The opposition fed on his body, lynching him to near death"

Some Corp-members were caught totting fake ballot papers with the originals folded into their mammoth khaki- trousers in ward seven".

"One of the thugs mishandled an AK-47 and shot himself dead in Asutan".

"The police shot an PDP thug in Mbierebe"

There were so many stories that I lost count of time and lost the friends I came with in the turmoils of the to and fro fleeing crowd. Collation had started and the violence had moved base from the polling units to the INEC offices. Opposing political parties had to way-lay their opponents as they came to return the boxes they took away. I didn't have the stamina to witness this phase of fracas anymore, so I quitted.

It was six twenty-five when I boarded a moped on my way home. The Keke- driver was feeding us his own post- electioneering gossips too. He was bragging of how many boxes he helped steal away in his ward. I sat there, silently taking in the events of the day, while the other passengers patronized the squawking keke-driver on his braggadocio.

So many had left their homes that morning and would never make it home again. So many had left with empty pockets and came home enriched. I knew that all sides had tried their best efforts at rigging; yet, the best rigger would win. In between the APC and the PDP, the winner will be the political party with the most efficient picking-box team. The other political parties didn't matter a bit.

In my country, rigging takes many forms. There are areas that rig in big rooms in big hotels under humming ACs. In some other areas, it is done in the field, where the opponents thug it out by who steals the most number of boxes. Others may collude with the Electoral commission through the Resident Electoral Commissioner,; the card readers may be hacked to accept even ATM and personal Identity cards; under-aged voters may be registered and accredited to vote; figures may be over-blown; fake materials maybe released to the electorate while original materials are being stashed in big hotels and thumb-printed on by a team of expert thumb-printers; electorate might be coerced to vote unilaterally by bringing in a mob of heavy-chested and weapon branding thugs or result sheets might be way-laid and unfavorable ones burnt.

It just depends on the style of your area for we are a million light years away from getting better or reforming our system. Change only comes if we pledge to accept it. If we are not ready, even the most rig-proof system, which works best in other countries would still produce catastrophic results when implemented here.

The Card-Reader system was borrowed from the Ghana Electoral system; it has failed woefully here.

So my advice: let us not forget that peace and reconciliation should proceed after our typical violent elections. There is no need to make the enmity linger. I only hope, we could take a cue from President Jonathan- and call-to-congratulate the winner of the polls; for we all try our efforts on rigging and the best rigger usually wins. So if, we loose, it doesn't mean we lost a truly just cause- just that we rigged a bit below the rig-to-win benchmark.

And about the arrogant moped driver, when I alighted and paid him with a one thousand note; he confessed not to have any change since he hadn't gone out of his house since morning. He forgot he boasted about stealing voting boxes. Some people can lie.

Bye.

©Poet Razon-Anny Justin,

April, 2015