Dr. Stephen Patrick
Those who believed that a rotten tree can be used to carve out a good wood, have received the shocks of their lives for their naivety. The actions of the Executive Governor of Kaduna State through his assigned electoral umpire, KADSIECOM, will go down in history as the foremost electoral fraud in modern history of democracy in Kaduna State. His iron fist did not spa re any shame or decorum in his brazen desire to hold the reigns of power without the People’s mandate at the grassroots. It is not far fetched that the cross fertilization of corrupt power mongers and their Machiavellian plots in 2023 elections has in turn reproduced its offsprings on 19th October 2024 in the local council elections. We have become docile and tolerant of the gradual infractions, until we went full circle in accepting worst abominable acts by power holders.
The analysis of the cost of the last council elections in Kaduna State by pundits only took a look at the money that went down the drain with about 300 million naira accruing to SIECOM for Forms and administrative charges. This does not include what other parties spent in the conduct of primaries. The APC having contrived a plan to declare winners without an election has anointed its candidates before hand, to minimize cost on its party members. Innocent people applied for Adhoc Staff through SIECOM portal, many abandoned their farms and businesses to waste time and money in attending training at their various local government areas. Opposition parties spent unquantifiable amount of money on campaign rallies and electioneering. For an election that is grassroots in nature, most candidates particularly for councillorship paid through their noses. Some sold off their personal belongings holding a promise that an election will hold.
What went down that is not taken into account by analyst is the psychological trauma, disenchantment, hopelessness, anger, tears and uncertainty. Many clergy took days off their busy schedules to pray for an election that the governor never planned to conduct. Many spent time interceding in churches and mosques for a peaceful, free and fair elections. Many took the risk of traveling from far distance to exercise their civic responsibilities, and ensure that their votes count. Aged parents whose fragile bodies could barely carry them, mustered their last strengths and dissipated it walking to their various polling units, and ended the excruciating wait in utter disappointment. Some asked, does the architect of this calamity have parents? Some patriotic citizens who could barely afford the transportation to their Local Government Areas spent their last penny, and left the next day in tears and disappointment, some had to depend on the assistance of kind-hearted individuals to go back to their places.
The daring insult and abuse of the collective intelligence and sensibilities of the people of Kaduna State, the ridiculous and inglorious declarations of winners without an election taken place, and the outright lies in defense of the indefensible by people who were eye witnesses to the fraud and forceful take over of government by an untamed emperor, and the shameless celebration by those who hoped to benefit from this charade cannot go unpunished. The triumph of evil over good is temporary, and there is a Leader who all mortals must account to, now or in the near future.
To the helpless citizens of Kaduna State who did no wrong in hoping for an election, for the violence that was meted on us to achieve this end, including lost of lives and injuries. Hold these scars of desire for democratic ideals with honor and dignity. Let this mark the beginning of a reawakening and struggle to dislodge the forces that seek to deny us our rights and freedom. Let’s not allow the elements in control to dash our hopes of entrenching democracy, and begin a match towards the recovery of our stolen mandate from the grassroots.
Dr. Stephen Patrick
Write from
Zangon Kataf Local Government
