An Open Letter To Mahmood Yakubu

Dear sir,

The level of the political quagmire faced in Nigeria, the social instability, aggravated ethnic hate, and the threat to national peace, all being the consequence of the mockery called the 2019 presidential elections, urged me to write this open letter to you.

Though you may pretend, lie and deceive some gullible fraction of the general public that the election was free and fair. I am here to remind you that posterity will forever judge you for willfully subverting the wishes of a greater majority of the Nigerian people, and squashing their aspirations for a better Nigeria.

It is obvious that what was conducted in Nigeria on 23 February 2019, is a far cry from what a free and fair election could be described as.

Democracy as practiced in Nigeria is a sham.

The intention of this letter is neither to bemoan the plight of the People’s Democratic Party’s fraudulent defeat, nor to console them (far from it, for they are still another side of the same coin), but to paint it for you in vivid colours how you abused the authority bestowed upon you, and wielded unconstitutional power over the ever deprived and subdued people of this nation.

The apparent dance of shame the entire electoral staff displayed that day has in no mean terms validated the point I earlier maintained: which was that there should be a total boycott of elections in Nigeria until it is proven that the Nigerian nation has learned how to respect the wills of the people as contained in the United Nation’s Human Rights Charter.

Let your conscience awake!

Sir, I have been wondering, have you been able to sleep after announcing the result of the presidential election? How do you live with yourself bearing in mind the added hardship you’ve brought upon Nigerians, the same people you swore to serve first, unbiased, independent and sincerely?

The Nigeria you’ve created is under siege.

There are a lot of political logic about the 23rd February presidential election I am yet to come to terms with. How come a party that won in the federal capital territory lost in areas solely ravaged by insurgency? On the eve of the election, Boko Haram, in their usual audacious maneuvering, bombed and killed dozens of people but surprisingly, the ruling political party won thousands of votes from these areas despite the heightened tension. How come?

Moreover, there are millions of displaced persons who never returned to their original abode to participate in this election, and how did INEC manufacture all the figures they are feeding the general public? The whole game is not just adding up. Frankly speaking, I am yet to come to terms why the card reader never rejected and malfunctioned in any of these Northern States but unfortunately became a big clog in the Eastern part of the country, which led to millions of eligible voters being disenfranchised.

Again, how is it possible that the number of votes APC amassed in some states is higher than the number of total valid votes? A lot of irregularities abound where we see number of accredited voters being lesser than the summation of APC and PDP votes, not taking into account votes being cast for other candidates. How did this happen?

Sir, the whole process was a big fraud. If it is not, why is INEC raising the issue of supplementary presidential election when already a winner has been declared, and certificate of return issued without considering some of the shameful irregularities that characterized the whole process? Do you think everyone is as daft as you are? The political maneuvering is somewhat childish.

Save what’s left of your dignity!

Let’s call a spade by its name. You are nothing but a half baked political scientist. You are a quack scholar who doesn’t deserve any form of respect. Even attaching professor to your name is a big slap to what professorship stands for. Your brazen involvement in this broad day light electoral robbery has further reinforced the statement of the U.S president who called Nigeria a shithole. History finally has marked you and Jega as the most fraudulent set of political hooligans that sacrificed the wishes of the people on a plater of ethnic and religious bigotry.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that points to the fact that the February’s election was rigged in favour of the incumbent, you went ahead to declare a concocted result. This further add credence to the consensus opinion that INEC has been monetized, politicized, and will never for any reason be trusted by the people.

Conclusively, Sir, posterity will continue to judge you. You will be remembered for nothing. No legacy! No pride! No conscience! I will always remember you as a man who subverted the due process because of ethnic, religious and political bigotry.

Accept my letter in good faith.

Yours Truly,
Kalu Nwokoro Idika

Kalu is a political analyst. You can e-mail him at kalunwokoroidika@yahoo.com