Gov. Badaru and Jigawa local govt elections

“The environment you fashion out of your thoughts, your belief, your ideals, and your philosophy is the only climate you will live in. The key is not in spending time, but in vesting it.” — Stephen R. Covey 

Many state independent electoral commission (SIECOM) held local government council elections in the country after the 2015 polls, with a lot of hi-cups in many other states, no opposition part got even chairman or councillorship seats, like what happened recently in Jigawa, this is because of the massive rigging by the ruling party, violating court order and violence prevailed in some states, which even led to lost lives and properties, like Niger state. Truly, the election generated lots of illusions in the minds of many Nigerians whether democracy has come to stay.

Now people should witness what governors like Badaru is doing in Jigawa State, he deliberately defies the Nigerian constitution, ignores the court order and collaborated with Jigawa State Independent Electoral Commission and conducted the election on Saturday, July 1st 2017 despite the court order to postpone the election. 

The one-sided resolution taken by JSIEC has no basis either in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or any existing law in Jigawa state. The recent reasons given are groundless and illogical. If the APC is jittery to confront PDP in an election organized by its electoral commission, they will go into coma come 2019 when we are ready to crush them in the national election. With the dismal or poor performance of the APC led government in Jigawa state, no any political office holder including the Governor has the capacity and courage to go on campaign tour in the rural areas. The masses are waiting for the delivery of the empty and spurious campaign promises of the 2015 election

Sule Lamido is law abiding citizen, he is not afraid of any political witch-hunt and intimidation. He willingly and radically confronted military junta of Abacha for the sake of restoring democracy to Nigeria and he was sent to jail severally, during PRP and military era. Lamido was imprisoned for his emancipation of the masses; Today’s situation is nothing different from mere political witch hunt and coercion. 

Lamido and his administration as one which accommodates insults and abuses from the people without having to reprimand anyone, and its bid to entrench democratic values, his government had ensured the freedom of speech. PDP was not afraid of the APC, but was enjoying its activities because the opposition party remains its creation. Lamido observed that, it was his deliberate policy of promoting freedom of association that made it possible for those in the opposition to merge and challenge the ruling party.

Lamido believes that, strong opposition is good for our democracy. APC should be very grateful to Sule Lamido and his administration.  His administration has promoted the right to vote and be voted for and strengthened the sanctity and integrity of democracy by ensuring that votes count, the 2015 elections is a case study. Despite all negative comments, abuses, insults and castigation against Lamido and his government, there had not been any political prisoner in the state also the administration of Lamido had been able to stabilise the state assembly by not interfering with their operations. This, he explained, is his own way of decentralizing power by strengthening institutions rather than making himself or anybody serving under his government a dictator.

To this end, I appeal to Jigawa state governor, Alhaji Badaru Talamiz to allow democracy to be, he should please abide with court order to cancel the just concluded election and conduct a new one as soon as possible as the constitution provides, as the PDP’s present move to put its house in order which will go a long way to win in any future elections to come God willing. The present happening in the party is nothing to bother about because, reorganization or restructuring is not the uprising against pre-existing order, but the setting-up of a new order contradictory to the traditional one. Jigawa PDP has set new formulas and strategies for its rebirth. Sule Lamido’s day to day interactions with people, his ideologies, principles and achievements will surely make the party bounce back, better and stronger. Wait and see wonders in any future elections to come and come 2019 In-Sha-Allah (God willing). If winter comes, can spring be far behind? Time will tell because if you think you can win, you can win. Faith is necessary to victory. 

Adamu Muhd Usman wrote from Kafin-Hausa, Jigawa State ([email protected])