By Sani Michael Omakoji
There was jubilation across Kogi State on Tuesday being 12th May, 2020 as Supreme Court set aside Lokoja High Court judgement to say that the case filed against Engr Musa Wada of PDP on primary school certificate forgery by combined forces of APC and INEC was nullified because it was filed out of time content.
What this implies is that, the case against Engr Musa Wada was belated as it was filed outside maximum 180 days required by law to file such case.
As you know in legal palace, it is a common saying that “being an ignorance of law is not an excuse at the court of competent jurisdiction”.
In what many analysts described as double victory for Engr Musa Wada, Supreme Court also agreed to admit forensic audit and video evidence arising from Kogi November 16 2019 gubernatorial election.
With all these political developments plus Wada’s victory against Abu Ibro who has headed to supreme court, we decided to call on our reliable Columnist, Sani Michael Omakoji to expatiate on the said political chess game in Kogi State.
In what he titles as: Expectations Of Well Meaning Nigerians As Tribunal Court Sets To Deliver Judgement On Kogi Nov 16 Guber Election, Sani Michael Omakoji, extensively xrays pre and post political development in the said election that brought about legal tussle.
As usual, let us read his interesting analysis;
” November 16 2019 remains the most horrible day in the lives of the good people of Kogi State as the Gubernatorial election which was envisaged to bring about the wishes of the people turned out to be the most dreadful, bloody and violent election in the history of Nigeria if not of the world in general as it was recorded that: it was the first of its kind to see some branded helicopters snatching ballot boxes, shooting live ammunition at electorates all in favour of All Progressive Congress Aspirant, Alhaji Yahaya Bello who happened to be the incumbent Governor.
It was an episode that can best be described as a feature of both civil and military wars.
Civil war in the sense that thugs in civilian uniforms were seen with sophisticated weapons terrorising some earmarked electorates who were suspected to be supporters of Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) and that of Social Democratic Party ( SDP ).
Military war in a related development as security operatives who were supposed to protect lives and properties acted otherwise to do the bidding of their pay masters as Helicopters well branded in the symbol of well known security outfit in the country were caught both off and on camera rigging the said election from Lokoja to KotonKarfi and from KotonKarfi to almost all the nine Local Government areas in Kogi East.
Similarly, in Kogi Central comprising: Okene, Adavi , Okehi, Ajaokuta and Ogori Mangongo, came a report by the Gubernatorial Candidate of SDP, Barrister Natasha Akpoti H that there was no election in the area as she herself was violently prevented from voting, describing the sound of gun shots on her roof where she was held captive as scaring enough to make pregnant woman experience miscarriage.
To justify Barrister Natasha Akpoti’s claim, there were cases of huge over voting in the mentioned Local Government Areas as it was cleared at INEC’s collation centre that plus or minus, the number of electorates who voted from those areas were far above the registered voters.
Recent revelation even uncovered that few people stayed in one air condoned bungalow to thump print in favour of APC who failed woefully in the said election.
Again, from the seven Local Government Areas in Kogi West to include: Kabba Bunu, Ijumu, Mopa Amuro, Yagba West, Yagba East, Lokoja and KotonKarfi, distinguished Senator Dino Melaye whose mandate was glaringly stolen by fundamental organized crime reported with video evidence how the election was massively rigged and at some points, the result sheets were rewritten in favour of APC at gun points.
In the same vain, here come a big one from Kogi East where you have nine local government areas like: Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Idah, Ibaji, Igala-Méla, Ofu, Olamaboro and Omala; what is the big deal here?
The big deal here is that not minding the unlawful killing of one late Daniel Usman during the presidential election who was shot dead at Anyigba, the same episode repeated itself at Ochadamu in Ofu Local Government area where PDP’s woman Leader in the State, Mrs Salome Abuh was burnt to death for the simple reason that she was one of the stakeholders of PDP.
Earlier before the late Salome Abuh was burnt to death, there were snatches of ballot boxes and manipulation of result sheets across Kogi East by APC’s aided thugs.
For example, in Ogbabede, the returned result sheets from the 52 polling units were burnt to ashes along side with some cars by APC’s thugs which trended on twitter for number of days.
The lead question being asked by a social media influencer, Mrs Ujenyu Sani then is/was, ‘has INEC & Nigerian Police done anything to deter the perpetrators of this unholy act?”
Concurrently, the situation was virtually the same across boards.
Unfortunately, amid of all these overwhelming irregularities, INEC fraudulently went ahead to declare Yahaya Bello as the winner of the said election even when it was cleared that from lawful computations, Engr Musa Wada won overwhelmingly.
Being a law abiding citizen, Engr Musa Wada of PDP headed to Tribunal to reclaim his stolen mandate and from all indications, Tribunal has come out to say that “all is now set to deliver the much awaited judgement.”
Though many have lost faith in the judiciary after somebody who took 4th position in Imo gubernatorial election was shamelessly declared winner by the Judiciary notwithstanding however, Nigerians and the rest of the world are watching Judiciary again if it is now legalized to; openly manipulate election result sheets, snatch ballot boxes, firing of arms and ammunitions at electorates, using of helicopters to rig election as the world witnessed during Kogi gubernatorial election are now normal remain an illusion or revelation that would unfold in matter of time to come.
Hence, with forensic audit death certificate of late Mrs Salome Abuh, and video evidence among others admitted by the Tribunal in favour of Engr Musa Wada of PDP, one expects that Edo and Ekiti were such evidences were used to nullify elections and ushered in Comrade Adams Oshiomole and Dr Kayode Femi both of APC would definitely produce Engr Musa Wada as the rightful winner of the said election.
Thus, anything outside this expectation would make people to prepare for war in subsequent elections than preparing for act of selecting their leaders through election.
It is therefore beholds on the Judiciary to avert this anarchy by correcting the satanic manipulation of INEC and other institutions that installed this injustice on the good people of Kogi State “.
Sani Michael Omakoji
A Social Commentator
City Centre Abuja- Nigeria
