In Nigeria, the general election is just a few weeks away. In addition, as is the case with every other election year, the nation that went from a millitary dictatorship to a “modern democracy” in 1999 is scheduled to go through the once-in-a-while process. Expectations are typically high due to the fact that this process will determine the fate of over 200 million people. However, it is also rife with tensions, electoral fraud, and violent clashes between rival political parties. This has happened since the beginning of the political system. The handwriting is already on the wall, so the transition this year won’t be any different.
It would appear that Nigeria is behind in the modern democratic system. As a result, the so-called pillars of the ideology—the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States—typically appear during elections to supposedly watch over and direct the Nigerian electoral commission toward a successful outcome. However, the procedure this year seems to raise a lot of questions. Those in charge of the state’s political corridor are engaging in a highly risky game beneath the entire preparation process. The fact that these games are being played with the lives of citizens, primarily innocent residents of Nigeria’s southeast who are preparing to exercise their voting rights on election day, is the most troubling aspect of the situation.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a self-determination movement, has nothing to gain by meddling in the Nigerian election, according to a clear, objective analysis of the situation. The informal Biafra Freedom agitation, which is supported by IPOB, currently occupies the center of Nigeria’s geopolitics; This is demonstrated by these unwarranted patterns of extortion. This indicates that the issue of a referendum will not be overemphasized and that there will eventually be a round table discussion.
For a decade, IPOB has sought a peaceful separation of Biafra from Nigeria in response to unbearable provocations. This is what led to so many provocative attacks and the kidnapping of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu outside of Nigeria’s borders, where he was tortured and extraordinarily transported by Nigerian secret agents to face prosecution in Nigeria, in violation of both local and international laws. As a result, at this point in the IPOB’s quest, it is illogical to assume that the organization will ever consider interfering in the Nigerian general election or any other electoral process because doing so would mean putting her core objective at risk from unknown gunmen; killers who will be equipped to disrupt the Nigerian election and have it blamed on IPOB/ESN, and who are being sponsored by begrudged Nigerian politicians.
Yes! In 2019, IPOB made the threat to boycott elections, but they never followed through. The call was answered by people who heard it. Therefore, if the politicians who are under threat of a boycott want to exact revenge, they should continue by explaining to the people of Biafra why they must boycott the referendum rather than the election. Because the people made the decision, IPOB won’t have a problem with that if they succeed.
This is just one of many reasons why IPOB, which is under her strict administrative command, has nothing to do with the Nigerian election.
This is another reason why the international observers—the EU, the United States, and the United Kingdom—who claim to be interested in uninterrupted democratic transitions and are either physically or virtually present in Nigeria ought to tell these political chess players to stop playing games with the lives of innocent people. In addition to teaching these political gamblers about democratic electoral procedures, they should also teach them about the sanctity of human lives and rights in a democracy.
The danger of Visa boycotts is absolutely incapable; I’m referring to a number of nations whose politicians and businesspeople are prohibited from traveling to other developed nations that are not part of the Eurozone, the United States, or the United Kingdom without a visa.
If these politicians refuse to stop using the lives of innocent people as pawns in their dirty games, please put those “Biting Sanctions” into effect against them.
Let them allow those who have lost interest and appetite for the Nigerian electoral process and political system to live out their lives and rights as an independent population on Earth as a result of the resolution of the United Nations charters. In a similar vein, individuals who maintain skepticism regarding the electoral system in Nigeria ought to be permitted to exercise their voting rights without fear of retaliation.
Enenienwite Ikechukwu was the author, and Ogah C. S. Maduabuchi was the editor.