By Alh. Jimoh Momoh-Sani
Elected officials in every democracy derive their legitimacy to govern from the integrity and acceptance of the elections that produce them. Consequently, when Governor Godwin Obaseki brought into question the integrity of the 2019 election that returned Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State to office for another four-year term, he did not just soil the reputation of INEC as a body committed to fair elections, but also invited doubts and rejection of the authority of Governor Yahaya Bello to preside over the affairs of the state as its duly elected leader.
For those who probably missed the comments of the Edo Governor weeks ago, he had alleged boldly, without naming his sources, that INEC was “worried” and “scandalized” by its actions in the 2019 Kogi Governorship election. The electoral body, according to Obaseki, quietly sought penance and made attempts to redeem itself after organizing what he deemed a corrupt election that handed a questionable victory to Governor Yahaya Bello.
This is a weighty allegation that deserves more scrutiny than it got. Put another way, Godwin Obaseki is claiming that Governor Yahaya Bello does not enjoy the ballot approval of the people of Kogi State; his occupancy of the Luggard House is a product of illegality and fraud; the 2019 Kogi election is an example of INEC’s betrayal of what is most fundamental to the survival of any democracy – the right of people to freely choose their own leader.
Astonishingly too, he suggested in his comments that he possessed proof of INEC’s admittance of this criminal betrayal and consequential acts of redemption.
The danger of this outrageous claim, which has since hardened the resolve of the opposition in the state that the election was manipulated despite failing to prove that point in all levels of legal jurisdiction, cannot be overemphasized.
No leader can win the votes of all citizens at the polls. There will always be dissenters; those who favor other candidates and ideas. But democracy guarantees a peaceful transfer of power and social stability because it is built on the premise that all will accept the outcome of elections as the will of the majority and subject themselves to the authority of the declared winner until the end of his tenure, as defined by the constitution.
By contesting the outcome of the 2019 election in Kogi State and accusing INEC of fraud, Obaseki has encouraged defiance against the state government and Governor Yahaya Bello, an action that could result in widespread violence and social upheaval particularly in areas where the opposition alleged rigging, even though the courts found no basis for such claims.
An example of how Obaseki’s charge represents a direct affront on Governor Yahaya Bello’s legitimacy and could harm democracy in Kogi State – and Nigeria, by extension – can be seen in the aftermath of the Presidential election in The United States of America where supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the capitol and nearly threw the entire country into chaos because they believed claims from certain quarters that elected Joe Biden “stole” the election.
Even today, a sizable number of Americans hold this view to the detriment of the country’s democracy and the ability of the government to effectively implement federal policies – including the vaccination drive – in certain areas.
Any government perceived to wield power without the consent of the people through a free and fair election is treated as a hostile entity to be resisted and forced to relinquish power. This is the treatment Obaseki urged the citizens to give to Governor Yahaya Bello when he alleged – without evidence – that his emergence was staged-managed in a collusion plot with INEC against the poll verdict.
In the interest of democracy in Kogi state and Nigeria, it is of utmost and urgent importance that Governor Godwin Obaseki is made to provide evidence of his claims so actions can be taken against INEC in the event that they are true, or he immediately offers a public recant of the reckless allegations complete with an apology to the Kogi State Government for attempting to undermine its legitimacy.
Momoh-Sani sent this piece from Okene, Kogi State