Special & Exclusive to USAfrica magazine (Houston) and USAfricaonline.com, first Africa-owned, US-based newspaper published on the Internet.
In the build up to the November 6, 2021 Anambra State of Nigeria governorship election, the unworthy strategy of denominational discrimination became an issue for many voters.
In many parts of Nigeria, especially here in Anambra State, we have seen the rise and menace of very partisan and divisive ‘political’ clergy. For many years and in fact decades, they decided to desecrate the altar of God — by openly supporting politicians and candidates in this 2021 governorship election.
I think they should be called to order by their ecclesiastical magisterium for their divisive acts and negative influences.
The ugly roles played by some religious leaders during the guber campaign left sour tastes in the mouths of many faithful.
Utterances from their revered pulpits appear to show that the need for attitudinal change must start with the clergy. They sounded unduly partisan and obsequious. They made divisive pronouncements thus pitching one christian denomination against another. The three major denominations were culpable in this regard.
The interest of the generality both ordained and the laity should be the enthronement of a candidate with the capacity to deliver democracy gains to the people.
Dr. M.I. Okpara, Chief Sam Mbakwe and even President Musa Yar’dua remained models till date. It’s not because of their religious leanings but due to their capacity to listen to their constituencies. Also, people could tell that they were devoted to and made genuine efforts to deliver on good governance.
The clergy and religious divisions were not the only issues as the electorates had to also contend with
several intervening distractions.
They all seemed set to disrupt the entire voting exercise.
First, the initial but later reversed “sit-at-home” order and “No election” stance of the IPOB, ESN and the Biafran National Guard complicated the situation.
Plus, The massive deployment of federal troops, tanks, Air Force and the Police made the situation look like a nation at war. It reminded many of the 1967-1970 Nigeria – Biafra war.
Some observers still argue that the last minute announcement by the IPOB cancelling its earlier “sit-at-home order” and “no voting” stance came as a relief to many despite the continued suspicion and fear of a majority of voters.
One take home is that the mobilisation by the security agencies prior to the election shows that Government can surmount any security challenge when they have the political will.
The relative success of the election has, therefore, been seen as a shot in the arm of the INEC and the security agencies.
The need to have an efficient electoral body has for many years occupied the minds of millions of Nigerians.
Like an incubus, the issue has remained a nightmare to many Nigerians. Again, INEC’s preparations for the Anambra State governorship election won by APGA’s Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo was not near perfect.
Election materials arrived late in most centres.
The highpoint of the election was the introduction of the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS. The system if well managed, will for one, put a stop to crude election rigging in Nigeria. However, the malfunction of most of the machines was a great minus for INEC. It was clear that the unskilled staff of the electoral umpire were yet to understand the workings of the sophisticated machines.
Many voters who came out to exercise their civic responsibility were disenfranchised by hiccups of the BVAS. It may not yet be uhuru however, with time, INEC staff will master the operations of the machines.
The Anambra guber election despite its positive spin-offs became the corrupting theatre of buying of votes. It became the norm not an exception amongst the major contending political parties.
The price of each vote ranges between three and ten thousand Naira. It sounds weird, but that is the naked truth. It was painful. To add insult to an injury, this obnoxious horse trading went on with impunity before the law enforcement agents and some members of the civil society. But as it is often said, no system is perfect. Regardless, what is worth doing is worth doing well.
Another take away. In the midst of calls appealing to the Anambra State electorates to join the mainstream of Nigerian politics by voting either PDP or APC, the people had in one voice told Nigeria of her resolution to swim and sink with APGA despite being a regional party with only one State in its corner.
