REVEREND ONAIYEKAN’S EXAMPLARY STANCE
There are no doubts that Nigeria’s April 2007 elections that were widely condemned by Nigerians and Non Nigerians were the worst elections ever conducted in the history of elections in Africa. Most of the people see it not as an election but a selection of persons the government in power wanted to put in strategic positions as state and national legislators, governors and even the country’s President. Others see it as a mere ambush of the rights of the citizenry to elect people of their choice who will serve them in various capacities.
Nigerian Christians, Muslims and even atheists are highly elated by the sincere and down to earth utterance of the country’s Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN; Most Reverend John Onaiyekan at a forum apparently arranged to drum up support for the ruling PDP/ INEC conducted fraudulent elections of April 14 and 21 this year.
Presenting a paper titled ‘endemic corruption in Nigeria – any way out?’ and organized by the independent and corrupt practices commission, ICPC, Reverend Onaiyekan who is also the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Abuja called for fresh elections in the country within one year. According to him ‘it is not impossible to imagine a situation where we all agree to go back and do proper election. That will entail reconstituting a truly independent national electoral commission. The heavens will not fall if this happens’.
The consolation Nigerians have today largely arises from the remarks of Nigerians whose morals and conscience are still active and have not derailed especially the recent exemplary remarks of nationalist and patriotic Reverend Onaiyekan who has not minced words in condemning the elections and asking that a fresh one be conducted under a free, transparent and non partisan national electoral body.
There is no gainsaying in the fact that Reverend Onaiyekan has spoken the minds of most if not all Nigerians. He has acted as an impartial, objective religious leader, a nationalist and statesman who has spoken the concern of all well meaning Nigerians on the state of affairs in the country.
Certainly, Reverend Onaiyekan deserves every Nigerians prayer for continuous good health and meritorious service to his fatherland.
One can vividly recall that sometime in 1993 after results released so far in the Presidential elections have pointed to Chief M. K. O. Abiola of the Social Democratic Party, SDP as heading for victory and the military head of state at the time, General Ibrahim Babangida annulled the elections, CAN was one of the first concerned Nigerian interest groups to come to town with a strong worded condemnation of the military fiat to cancel the election that was widely acclaimed as the freest and fairest ever in the history of elections in the country. Not minding the religious imbalance in the presidential race at the time as all the two candidates are Muslims- M.K.O. Abiola of SDP and Bashir Tofa of National Republican Party, NRC, the leadership of CAN asked that the results be released, a winner declared and sworn-in as the choice of Nigerians in the elections.
Unfortunately for the Islamic religious bodies, Jama’atul Nasril Islam, JNI and its leaders not a word was heard from them condemning an act that even their religion, Islam abhors. Even our royal fathers have maintained sealed lips over an election that was worldwide considered highly fraudulent. Ordinarily, they should have risen in support of their subjects and condemn it and ask for its cancellation. But because of some underhand deals and some unexplained reasons, they have kept mute. Some even went to the Presidential Villa to pay homage to the occupant of a stolen mandate.
It is important for our traditional, community, Muslim scholars and leaders to learn from the exemplary words of their Christian counterparts. They must be seeing at all times to be in the vanguard of the defence of the rights of their people including the right to vote for candidates of their choice. In doing this, our traditional rulers, elites, Islamic Mallams and Sheikhs will not be doing any body any favour but themselves. That is surely the only way their subjects will accord them the desired respect and honour.
Isn’t it a shame to our Islamic mallams and traditional rulers that they have not acted as true Muslims for closing their eyes and mouth to the rape of the peoples mandate under the guise of ‘it is a fellow northerner who is put there?’ Nigerians with absolute faith in Allah must have to conduct their lives in accordance with the instructions to commend good deeds and condemn bad ones.
A word is enough for the wise.
HAJIYA HAFSAT M. ZANNA
(musahafsat@yahoo.com)
87, GAMBORU GALA STREET
MAIDUGURI
