Jega & Nothern Fraud: The need for a new ‘M.I Okpara'

In 1963 Census, which the Northern region heavily rigged to favour the desert North against the heavily populated Southern Nigeria, the leaders of the South particularly those from Eastern Region took it upon them to challenge the anomaly of imposing a false census results on them. It’s on record that Eastern Region Government under Chief M.I Okpara of blessed memory was able to rally other progressives Nigerians to challenge the fraud called 1963 Election to the extent that it took the Federal Government to Court over the shameful head counts, which the late former Premier of Eastern Region described as “worse and useless”.

Today, Fifty years after the discredited Census exercise, another anomaly is now staring on our very eyes and the leaders of ‘disunited Southern Nigeria’ seem to have all gone to slumber. Recently, the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Council (INEC), Alhaji Jega had announced the delineation of additional 30,000 new Polling units in the country and allocated 21,000 (70% of the polling units) to the North while the remaining 9,000(30%) to the entire 3 Zones of the South. In the North, the desert region of North West was allotted with about 7,000 where as South-East region has little over a thousand Polling units. The most shocking of the sham is the war torn region of North East- where residents have been fleeing away from Boko Haram forces, was given an additional 5,600 polling units – more than the combined polling units allocated to the people of South East and South-South.

I have looked out to see the voice of men; the men that matters in the South but have yet to see anyone. There is no doubt that Southern Nigeria has far more capable men of timber and caliber but it seems they are no longer here with us or perhaps have traveled to the land of no returns. This land of return seems to have swallowed all men with balls, as names like Dim Emeka Ojukwu, Gani Fawehimni, CC Onoh, Abraham Adesanya and so many others are no longer here with us. These are powerful men that cannot tolerate this kind of injustice. Where are the Agbokobas, Falanas  and all our human right lawyers? Even the voice of great International acclaimed figure like Wole Soyinka and the rest are nowhere to be heard.

The irony of this is that this sort of mockery is coming at a time a Citizen of Southern Nigeria, is the No 1 Occupant of Aso Rock. It has also shown the obvious facts that the forces that want to upstage the President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan are within and outside his kitchen cabinet. It’s imperative that the Southern leaders should come out of their shell and speak out. The National Assembly should without further delay revised the decision with immediate effect.

There is no doubt that Jega is working for the interest of powerful cabal and should be stopped by all force before further damaged would be unleashed on the entity. Nobody needs a soothsayer to proclaim the reasons behind this politics of nepotism as exhibited by the INEC Boss other than the need to revert back power to North by all means.

The National Assembly and the Presidency should speed into action to disband the INEC before it will plug this country into a more bloody anarchy.

Jega should therefore resign with immediate effect. He should be man enough to bow down to the wishes of Nigerians, and resign his appointment as he has brought capital question marks on his person and integrity to steer the ship of our electoral system. Jega therefore must go for there to be a free and fair election.

Comrade Biafra Diboh
writes from Asia City of Kuala Lumpur

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