The introduction of the Card Reader machines and establishment of INEC data base, which stores all data information from the Card Reader, was a welcome development. It took foresight, tolerance, perseverance and above all, love for one’s country from then INEC Chairman, Prof Jega, to accomplish that task. Thank God that he finally got the approval of both the PDP dominated National Assembly and former president Jonathan to bring in the Card Readers which cost the country billions of naira. It was not easy at all for the Prof, but history will vindicate him.
Today the use of the Card Reader is being contested by the PDP. The argument by the PDP that INEC guideline which emphasises on use of Card Reader is not recognised by the Electoral Act is stupid, unthinkable and unsustainable except in the judgements delivered by the Abia State Election Petition Tribunals on the State and National Assembly elections.
Those judges who sat on the tribunals in Abia, said to have been bribed to stupor, cast common sense and rule of law to the wind by accepting all that was put forward by the PDP to give their candidates judgements in all the petitions filed against them.
Thank God for the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja who refused to toe the same line. The Tribunal judges ruled that the INEC guideline on the Card Reader is by no means in conflict with the Electoral Act and that none compliance with the guideline is a crime for which the criminals, PDP, must be punished. They agreed that PDP did not allow the use of the Card Reader in many LGA’s in the state during the governorship election and consequently nullified elections in 18 LGA’s. Nigerians hail the judgement as a welcome development to stamp out impunity.
The difference is clearer in the Abia elections. Not only that the PDP blocked the use of the Card Reader, they did not allow people to vote in the Abia south senatorial zone of the state especially in Obingwa, Isiala Ngwa- North and
Osisioma. There was massive rigging and unprecedented violence in these Local Government Areas.
Voters in Obingwe say they never saw any card reader, but were forced, at gun point, to thumb print as many times as were ballot papers.
Abians agree that the 3 LGA’s where elections were cancelled by the Returning Officer, Prof Ben Ozumba, must be upheld and the outrageous votes allocated there should not be counted in computing who won elections there, whether in the State, National Assembly or Governorship elections.
The Card Reader was meant to ensure that only eligible and accredited voters vote in elections.
The fact that information from each accredited voter registers at the INEC data base in Abuja and will show the total number of people who actually voted, will check rigging in Nigerian elections. For the evil people, if they know that at the end of it all, votes that did not pass through the Card Reader will not count, they will abandon the idea and campaign more effectively to have people vote for them. It will equally check violence which is often employed to bring in falsified results. If the votes so added will not count, the idea of using violence to get votes will stop. God will bless Prof Jega!
The only problem we have now in discouraging rigging and violence to achieve a free and fair election in Nigeria is for the Judiciary to come on board. The Judiciary should reign in corrupt Judges and punish those who have been found wanting to deter others. Some Judges who fight and lobby to be posted on election tribunal duties must be watched because they are bringing shame and humiliation to the judiciary and Nigeria as a country.
Why should any sane politician argue about the Card Reader if they did not cheat? Why should they bribe Judges if they actually won elections? This act carries a moral burden and we must remember that there’s God.
To say because Judiciary is sacrosanct, sacred, bastion of democracy and last hope of the common man is not in dispute, but some Judges should not hide under these beautiful descriptions to do evil and get away with it.
Otherwise, what on earth would have described a situation where a Governorship candidate won Landslide in a particular zone but both State and National Assembly candidates of an opposing party took all seats? When did our voters graduate to that level and was this the situation when PDP won every seat in Abia State?
It only happened in Abia State where all the Judges who sat on the Tribunals where imported from the moon.
As Nigerians await Judgements from the various Election Tribunals across the country, we urge our judges to expose those who try to bribe them and to be fair in their judgements which have great impact on the Nigerians and the county we will leave behind for our Children and Grand Children. These Judges are Nigerians and have no other country to go to if they kill this one.
Whoever says we cannot criticise Judges or the Judiciary when we notice wrong doings, has no value for democracy or freedom of speech. This is a different era and times have changed
To collect bribe and pass a wrong judgement is same as sentencing an innocent person to death.
Edwin Okorie -Wrote From Mbawsi, Abia State
Today the use of the Card Reader is being contested by the PDP. The argument by the PDP that INEC guideline which emphasises on use of Card Reader is not recognised by the Electoral Act is stupid, unthinkable and unsustainable except in the judgements delivered by the Abia State Election Petition Tribunals on the State and National Assembly elections.
Those judges who sat on the tribunals in Abia, said to have been bribed to stupor, cast common sense and rule of law to the wind by accepting all that was put forward by the PDP to give their candidates judgements in all the petitions filed against them.
Thank God for the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja who refused to toe the same line. The Tribunal judges ruled that the INEC guideline on the Card Reader is by no means in conflict with the Electoral Act and that none compliance with the guideline is a crime for which the criminals, PDP, must be punished. They agreed that PDP did not allow the use of the Card Reader in many LGA’s in the state during the governorship election and consequently nullified elections in 18 LGA’s. Nigerians hail the judgement as a welcome development to stamp out impunity.
The difference is clearer in the Abia elections. Not only that the PDP blocked the use of the Card Reader, they did not allow people to vote in the Abia south senatorial zone of the state especially in Obingwa, Isiala Ngwa- North and
Osisioma. There was massive rigging and unprecedented violence in these Local Government Areas.
Voters in Obingwe say they never saw any card reader, but were forced, at gun point, to thumb print as many times as were ballot papers.
Abians agree that the 3 LGA’s where elections were cancelled by the Returning Officer, Prof Ben Ozumba, must be upheld and the outrageous votes allocated there should not be counted in computing who won elections there, whether in the State, National Assembly or Governorship elections.
The Card Reader was meant to ensure that only eligible and accredited voters vote in elections.
The fact that information from each accredited voter registers at the INEC data base in Abuja and will show the total number of people who actually voted, will check rigging in Nigerian elections. For the evil people, if they know that at the end of it all, votes that did not pass through the Card Reader will not count, they will abandon the idea and campaign more effectively to have people vote for them. It will equally check violence which is often employed to bring in falsified results. If the votes so added will not count, the idea of using violence to get votes will stop. God will bless Prof Jega!
The only problem we have now in discouraging rigging and violence to achieve a free and fair election in Nigeria is for the Judiciary to come on board. The Judiciary should reign in corrupt Judges and punish those who have been found wanting to deter others. Some Judges who fight and lobby to be posted on election tribunal duties must be watched because they are bringing shame and humiliation to the judiciary and Nigeria as a country.
Why should any sane politician argue about the Card Reader if they did not cheat? Why should they bribe Judges if they actually won elections? This act carries a moral burden and we must remember that there’s God.
To say because Judiciary is sacrosanct, sacred, bastion of democracy and last hope of the common man is not in dispute, but some Judges should not hide under these beautiful descriptions to do evil and get away with it.
Otherwise, what on earth would have described a situation where a Governorship candidate won Landslide in a particular zone but both State and National Assembly candidates of an opposing party took all seats? When did our voters graduate to that level and was this the situation when PDP won every seat in Abia State?
It only happened in Abia State where all the Judges who sat on the Tribunals where imported from the moon.
As Nigerians await Judgements from the various Election Tribunals across the country, we urge our judges to expose those who try to bribe them and to be fair in their judgements which have great impact on the Nigerians and the county we will leave behind for our Children and Grand Children. These Judges are Nigerians and have no other country to go to if they kill this one.
Whoever says we cannot criticise Judges or the Judiciary when we notice wrong doings, has no value for democracy or freedom of speech. This is a different era and times have changed
To collect bribe and pass a wrong judgement is same as sentencing an innocent person to death.
Edwin Okorie -Wrote From Mbawsi, Abia State
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