By Isah Aliyu Chiroma
“Political independence is totally inadequate, if it is not accompanied by stability and economic security. There is no genuine personal liberty with freedom, to express one’s views and propose whatever phase one desires”.
_Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
The smoke screen which concluded the supplementary election last week came with unbearable situation. A situation that agitated the political climate in Adamawa. This and other historical occurrences around the nation have influenced people’s willingness to get involved in politics.
The attack on Prof. A. A. Zuru by political thugs last week in Adamawa, where he was serving as an INEC commissioner on a national assignment, has demonstrated the madness that is capable of vitiating our politics. This is a stab at the heart that is deeply rooted and comes with an injury that scares the heart that is ready to give back. What does it mean to attack an INEC official like prof. Zuru, a man who is highly esteemed both inside INEC and in the academic community?
When Prof. Zuru was vice chancellor of Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto, that was when I first know him. Because of his position as the VC, Prof. Zuru instantly assumed the role of father to every student at the university, which he actually is. Prof. Zuru was regarded as a modest individual who cared profoundly about students and would do whatever it took to find solutions to their lingering problem. We were all unhappy when his time expired and he left the university to give back to his community through INEC while also resigning from his role as a vice chancellor.
Assuming his new position at INEC has given him a platform to demonstrate that academicians have important roles to perform outside of the classroom. The declaration of Binani as the winner of the state governorship election by Hudu Yunusa Ari, the INEC’s REC for Adamawa state, while collation was still ongoing, has thrown the city into disarray in a rather depressing instance of electoral rascality that has been widely witnessed and is more disappointing than any circumstance in the past. This demonstrates the inadequate and unethical nature of the work for which he was fully qualified and expected to perform it.
To ensure that their views are heard in a case like this, it is expected of the populace to sound an alarm and draw the INEC official’s attention using the channel provided. Unfortunately, some of the political thugs decided to attack the INEC REC after taking the law into their own hands. Fortunately, there was a mistake in the target’s identification; most likely, the white beard and the target’s height led them to believe that Prof. Zuru was Hudu Yunusa Ari. And it’s also possible that they recognized him and came to a conclusion after doing so. Perhaps one of the drugs they used changed their perception of themselves.
In any way, taking laws into our hands always comes with a price to pay. The price is high right now. Are the shoulders strong enough to support this weight? Because the incident had an impact on our political climate in addition to Prof. Zuru. In the midst of this mayhem, Binani went on to make her acceptance speech, which the National Television Authority broadcast. This has raised serious concerns about her, and now the REC has been accused of accepting bribes.
The suspension of the REC was confirmed by President Muhammadu Buhari, according to a statement issued by Mr. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation. An investigation is now launched to find out what actually occurred. Many questions about what is actually happening will be raised by this. Why did Ari announce Binani the winner when he is well aware that the results compilation is still ongoing? Why did Binani proceed with giving her speech of acceptance? Why was the Adamawa election declared inconclusive from the beginning?
If we want to maintain our democracy in a democratic environment like Nigeria, where we are still emerging as a nation, we must ensure that the actors we include in the political arena are individuals who are enthusiastic about change. a long-term transformation that will improve people’s lives and those of future generations.
“In a world of insecurity, ambition, and ego, it’s easy to be drawn in, to take chances with our lives, to believe that what we do and what people say about us is reason enough to gamble with death,” Fergal Keane wrote in his book Letter to Daniel. The investigation needs to be done correctly, and those responsible need to face the law. For Prof. Zuru, we believe that justice must be served at all costs and that steps should be taken to avoid a repeat of the incident. What is politics if the electoral commission that determines how leaders are chosen is not respected? And what does work imply if ethics don’t exist?
As we observed our Eid celebration, we shall do so even more when justice is served in our community and those responsible for the wrongdoing should bear the penalties.
