BY AKINROPO OLUFEMI
SUNDAY EDITORIAL – 06/07/2025
*VOTE BUYING AND ELECTION RIGGING : LAST TWO BILLS COALITION MUST ENSURE ARE PASSED INTO LAW BEFORE 2027 ELECTION
” The harder the conflict, the greater the triumph – George Washington.”
How will Tinubu survive a group of ” betrayers” (at least from the context of how all APC supporters are seeing it) ready to send him back to bourdillon in 2027?. I might not like the way Tinubu has been running the economy of Nigeria ever since most Nigerians felt he might have navigated his way into aso rock, and insidiously. Regardless, for the very first time, I’m beginning to have a picturesque depiction of what betrayal exemplifies. Before now, the word “betrayal” used to strike me like a serial morpheme that is used literally to delineate a controversial individual with mutinous and contumacious eccentricities. However, I realized I had been wrong for years after I was at the receiving end few days ago. The holy bible is right afterall as it explicitly states that : ” the human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who can really know how bad it is?.
After my astonishing encounter few days ago, I concluded that Tinubu is certainly not sleeping. The coalition movement itself is not what is giving him insomnia ; it’s the amalgamation of his political sons, majority of whom had fought heroically side by side with him, and had considerably contributed to the birthing of APC’s ancestry. Undoubtedly, the reminiscences of the good memories he once had with the likes of El Rufai and Aregbesola, wouldn’t but continue to resonate in his encephalon, even while having a melodramatic episode of obscene siestas.
For the very first time in the last two years, Tinubu and his APC’s loyalists and supporters are beginning to realize that the likelihood of having a smooth expedition to the holy grail ingrained in aso rock in 2027, is shadowy. Just like the biblical colloquialism which narrates how ” easier it is for a camel to go through the eyes of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God “, all over the nooks and crannies where APC apologists are rooted, jittery and consternation have since become their last supper. Like a poltergeist who dreads the morning stars and the rising sun, and who knows might live forever under the sheath of darkness, they now know the die is cast. Like a vampire wouldn’t risk scavenging for fresh blood during the day, even if his life depends on it, Tinubu and APC loyalists and supporters now know they can’t afford to go to the polls in 2027 against a formidable coalition.
Surprisingly , while jagaban seems to have succeeded in unlocking the puzzles (INEC, judiciary, Legislatures, Police, DSS, etc ) only himself can decipherably unbolt during and after 2027 election, in the last few days, a plethora of unanticipated afflictions are beginning to emanate from the least expected sources. Only God is invincible afterall. Even the wisest Solomon couldn’t have outsmarted other lesser Solomons combined together. And guess who are Tinubu’s principal adversaries?. They used to be his political associates, political sons and daughters, friends and confidants. Suddenly, the likes of Wike, Onanuga, Bwala, Lere Olayinka, Festus Keyamo, Oshiomhole, et al, began to soliloquize incoherently whilst masquerading as media aides to the coalition movement, and immodestly.
The Yorubas would say ” omo inu oka nii n’se iku pa oka “. Meaning the neonates of a gaboon viper are its harbinger of doom. Unfortunately, Tinubu is the gaboon viper here. The likes of Aregbesola and El-Rufai are the neonates. As usual, whilst Tinubu was busy calculating how the oppositions could be crushed and how key political heavyweights would continue to decamp to APC before 2027 presidential election, he had thought Wike’s recalcitrance was going to be enough to completely lacerate PDP’s chances.
Tinubu was apparently enjoying the euphoria and the rhapsodic enthusiasm as Wike and his boys continued to dissect PDP by the scrotum. He couldn’t hide his delight as he giddily mentioned how glad he was watching opposition parties in disarray. Until few days ago, Tinubu was firmly in control of all the state apparatuses as well as the opposition parties. As Wike was tearing PDP apart, Lamidi Apapa and his cohorts were reveling as they continued to tear Labor party apart like a pandemonium of parrots pecking on a carrot, and vociferously. The likes of Akpabio and Ganduje could perceive the wonders only jagaban could successfully extemporize. It was no surprising after the duo said, and publicly, that, APC would rule forever and Tinubu would get 99.5 percent votes in 2027.
All of a sudden, their political calculations have proven to be an indiscreet permutation. APC apologists have suddenly flooded all media spaces, with a primary intent of denigrating the individuals involved in the coalition. While they continue doing so, so far, they’ve been absolving Buhari and Tinubu of all blames. They’ve been exonerating the duo from plunging Nigerians to poverty. To all of them, PDP, a party which had left power in 2015, and also left a litre of fuel and a dollar at N97 and N170 respectively, is still responsible for the hardship, insecurity, inflation, etc, the country is presently enduring. Only God knows what political indoctrination has done to an average Nigerian!. It’s highly unfortunate.
Now, after the coalition movement has successfully adopted ADC, it seems the political stratosphere is gradually tilting towards neutrality. Even an average Nigerian knows. For the first time in months, disgruntled Nigerians now believe their votes might just count in 2027 afterall. They now have a viable alternative after PDP and Labor parties had been infiltrated by APC moles and spies ; always instigating chaoses – just to ensure jagaban wins against all odds in 2027.
For now, can ADC gladiators build a formidable fortress to prevent some of those heinous moles from defecting to the party?. Assuredly, wrecking the party (ADC) must have eclipsed other agendas as far as those carcinogenic agents saddled with such treacherous missions are concerned. For the sake of sanity of democracy and its continuity in Nigeria, they must be resisted from joining ADC, and vehemently.
Should the coalition’s leaders ensure those political scavengers are gagged from hijacking the movement, then, their destination to El dorado in 2027 is halfway guaranteed.
From all indications, and without exhibiting bias or displaying favouritism, at least 7 of every 10 Nigerians chosen randomly would rather opt for another political party in 2027 ; not APC. It’s not about exhibiting prejudice despondently and exaggeratedly. The indices that show Nigerians are tired, and that majority see 2027 election as their last chance at freedom, are pristinely translucent for all to see. Tinubu knows it. His ministers know. Akpabio and his cohorts in the Senate know. APC’s apologists, loyalists and supporters know. However, they wouldn’t admit to it publicly. Instead of Tinubu and his families in government to plead to Nigerians and use the remaining 2 years ( before 2027) to lay a solid foundation upon which Nigerians could begin to have a positive mindset toward the party, in the last few days, they have been engrossed with castigation of politicians in the newly formed ADC while also launching a campaign of calumny against the party (ADC). As if Tinubu and others in APC didn’t lead exactly the same coalition which birthed APC in 2014 – a party which later unseated Jonathan. Why are they spitting fire over what (coalition ) catapulted them to power in 2015?. Guess they are in the best position to know the efficacy of a strong coalition afterall. I wonder if the likes of Tinubu, Ganduje, Wike, Akpabio, etc, are more of a saint than the coalition’s leaders.
Despite glaring displeasure and anger Nigerians continue to display whenever Tinubu and APC are mentioned, can ADC stand a chance if vote buying and election rigging are allowed to infiltrate the electioneering proceedings in 2027?. As it stands, which of the political parties has everything to gain and which among them has everything to lose if vote buying and election rigging are brazenly allowed to stand in 2027 presidential election?. Many nigerians are already insinuating some desperate politicians can afford to spend even 50k to bribe just one voter on election day. They also know all the polling units would be hijacked with money and it’s going to be showers of naira galore across the country. Again, more than 80 percent Nigerians also know that INEC officials wouldn’t allow a level-playing ground, and many Returning Officers would have collected dollars before the election day.
But, Tinubu is a democrat. He always claim democracy must be preserved in Nigeria regardless. If he wants a reform and the philosophical tenets of democracy to be protected, just as he passed the cybercrimes act into law few days ago, why can’t he also do the same and enforce capital punishments on individuals/agents found culpable of instigating vote buying and election rigging?. Should that be too much for our dear president?. Should he be pressured by the coalition movement before aligning with the philosophy?. Why wouldn’t he accede to doing so?. Or, does he want to gain anything from vote buying and election rigging in 2027?.
” Any political system can commit mistakes and any state can commit mistakes. What is most important is to acknowledge these mistakes and put them right as soon as possible and put those behind them into account, bring them into account – Hosni Mubarak.”. Just few days ago, in the cybercrime acts Tinubu passed into law, “inciting ethnic hatred or division” is adjudged a domestic terrorism. It was seen as an offence tantamount to an egregious indignation. Tinubu saw it as an offence punishable by life imprisonment, and same was passed into law. Should it be rigorous for our dear president to also ensure vote buying and election rigging are punishable by life imprisonment?. Or, should we assume Tinubu doesn’t know that those two factors are presently the foremost enemies of democracy in Nigeria, and mustn’t be tolerated henceforth?. Should we also assume Tinubu doesn’t know that those two factors are the reason non-performing politicians continue to maltreat the masses, all because they know their re-election is all but guaranteed?.
Just like he did with the cybercrime acts, coalition movement must ensure Tinubu is compelled, and swiftly, to pass a bill of life imprisonment or even a death sentence on individuals/agents caught or found culpable of vote buying and election rigging. That way, we shall know our president wants a level-playing for all the contestants who will contest against him. Nigerians shall also know that he relies solely on his performances to win 2027 re-election. After doing so, perhaps, Nigerians might just change their minds and vote for him eventually in 2027.
(Akinropo Olufemi writes from Ibadan. He’s a writer, poet and political satirist.)