ACN’s battle to reclaim Adamawa

Consequent upon the alleged widespread irregularities that attended the conduct of the poll, the governorship candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Engr. Markus Natina Gundiri, ex-Director of Federal Ministry of Water Resources, decided to go to the election tribunal to reverse the declaration of Murtala Nyako of PDP by INEC as the winner. Gundiri, […]

Consequent upon the alleged widespread irregularities that attended the conduct of the poll, the governorship candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Engr. Markus Natina Gundiri, ex-Director of Federal Ministry of Water Resources, decided to go to the election tribunal to reverse the declaration of Murtala Nyako of PDP by INEC as the winner. Gundiri, Nyako and Mohamed Marwa of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) were the front runners in the election. In announcing the results, INEC credited Nyako with 302,953 votes and Gundiri, 241, 023 votes.

Gundiri and his party, the ACN, in their petition which is currently receiving attention at the tribunal, are alleging that the conduct of the election did not comply substantially with the requirements of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and that it was marred by violence and corruption perpetrated by thugs, which included but not limited to multiple voting; ballot stuffing; over-voting; inflation of results, thuggery attacks on supporters of ACN. Even in spite of high voters’ apathy, in a manner akin to abracadabra, high figures were declared for the PDP and its candidate.

As a matter of fact, ACN which is contesting the results from the following Local governments, Girei, Yola North, Mayo Belwa, Demsa, Fufore, Jada, Mubi South, Maiha, Yola South, Madagali and Toungo vehemently declared that aside from the corruption of the process, the wilful discountenance or exclusion of actual results cast in several instances deprived its candidate of lawful votes, a development repugnant to natural justice.

Hakeem Baba-Ahmed writing in Daily Trust of Monday November 14, 2011 captured the misfortune that has befallen the nation through rigging. According to him, “If the development of Nigeria’s democratic traditions and values depended on our present elected leaders, particularly those in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the country would have been dead on arrival. In truth, it is virtually dead, if the events and developments of the last general elections are to be adequately captured by history. It may be expecting too much to believe that leaders who ride to power on the basis of their ability to bend, stretch or break party rules, will respect the same rules when they apply them to others.”

Baba-Ahmed merely hit the nail on the head. Since the advent of democracy in 1999, all elections conducted into the three tiers of government have been marred by massive rigging, a sad development that has passed a sentence of underdevelopment and irrelevance on the nation. And that is why all lovers of justice not only in Adamawa State but Nigeria as a whole must rally round Gundiri as he battles to reclaim his mandate that was snatched in broad daylight.

Given the character and personality of Gundiri, the people of Adamawa State have come to appreciate the enormity of the injustice done to him by enemies of progress. Considering his antecedent, vast experience and good track record of performance at the federal level, it would be suicidal to deny him a mandate that was freely given by the people of the state. That is why his case pending before the tribunal must be expeditiously accorded fair treatment. That Nigeria is in its present sorry state is not without cause. Even a piece of metal that goes rusty by oxidation has eternal agents acting on it. That the nation has been virtually static developmentally is a product of our collective efforts. In the same vein, the prevailing pathetic condition of Adamawa State can only be reversed if the election tribunal handling the case does the right thing. For now, all eyes are on the tribunal to put Adamawa State on the path of socio-political and economic recovery.

Muktar wrote from Jimeta-Yola