A Humble And Sincere Open Letter To President Muhammadu Buhari On Electoral Act Amendment Bill:
By Sir Don Ubani; KSC, JP
Okwubunka of Asa Gburugburu and Oke Amadi Nd'Asa.
Friday (Orie) 11-02-2022.

Mr President, let me assure you, Sir, that every respect and honour due you as my President, are amply reflected in this patriotically-motivated Open Letter. I come in peace, Sir.

For purposes of clarity, I am a very law-abiding citizen of our Great County, Nigeria. My belief in Nigeria, despite all odds, has never been in doubt. My name is Sir Don Ubani. I hail from Umuiku-Isi-Asa Autonomous Community in Ukwa-West Local Government Council Area of Abia State. I am basically a Teacher and Writer.

Mr President, Sir, I am one of those Nigerians that have never believed in you and, so, have never been your fan. My reason stems from no other cause than my conviction that you are an indisputable antagonist of Democracy. The fact that you overthrew the democratically-elected Government of President Shehu Shagari in the wee hours of Saturday, 31st December, 1983, which was the 365th day in the Gregorian Calendar of that year, made me develop this feeling. Up till date, that is about 49 years after that unconstitutional misconduct of yours, I have not found any justification in your lawless overthrow of a duly-constituted Government of the Federation.

Regrettably, Mr President has not yet considered it necessary to tender an apology to the wounded Nigerian State. It is my honest expectation that Mr President would find the required humility and sense of patriotism to formally express remorse to Nigerians before the end of his Presidency in 2023.

Mr President, Sir, another major reason why I have remained not your admirer is that under you, Nigeria avoidably became a blood-bath, only orchestrated by your Fulani kinsmen, without any reprieve from you. The pathetic case of the Peoples of the Middle-Belt is one that readily comes to mind.

I do not want to delve into your Administration's ineptitude in the management of our national economy. You knew how much the Dollar was to Naira on 29th of May, 2015 and you know how much it is today. You also knew how much a liter of fuel was sold on 29th May, 2015 and you also know how much Nigerians buy fuel today. No doubt, Mr President knew the volume of Direct Foreign Investments that flowed into Nigeria prior to his emergence in 2015 and I am not sure he does not know what it is today.

Mr President, Sir, there was an atmosphere of love and understanding amongst Nigerian citizens before your election in 2015. Sir, hatred has been injected into our national psyche, resultant of your 'famous' speech on 5% and 98%.

Mr President, Sir, only one thing is left for you to assure Nigerians that you could still mean well for the Nigerian State. You rode into Power on the basis of a Transparent Electoral System put in place by the PDP Administration of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. It was the introduction of the Card Reader that made it possible for you to become President, in addition to President Jonathan's unique nature.

Nigerians are clamouring for a vigorous Electoral System that can guarantee Transparency and Credibility. They desire and deserve their votes to count!

If, as it is obvious, there is no other thing you can give them, since you have completely failed, as clearly stipulated by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as variously amended, to guarantee protection of our lives and property and also our welfare, it would be incumbent and expedient that you bequeath to Nigerians an Electoral System that shall guarantee Transparency and Credibility in our elections.

Once our Electoral System is right, every other rightfulness will certainly follow. A Transparent Electoral System has in-built mechanism and Capacity to throw up Nigerians capable of changing our leadership narratives and it will be in the overall interest of our economy, security and eventual development. A faulty Electoral System can only produce faulty characters as managers of the country's affairs. We can not get different results if we continue to do it the way we have wrongly been doing it.

The National Assembly, though nearly justifiably believed to be a rubber stamp legislature, had managed to propose a 2021 Amendment to Nigeria's Electoral Act and had transmitted same to Mr President in 2021.

Expectedly, Mr President vetoed the Amendment Bill on the grounds that the Amendment had restricted Political Parties to only the option of Direct Primaries in the process of selecting their Candidates.

Mr President, Sir, your Veto was widely supported by many Nigerians, including Yours Sincerely.

Interestingly, the National Assembly has expeditiously reworked the the amended Bill. It has removed the obnoxious clause, Direct Primaries. The Bill now has three Modes of Selection by the Political Parties, vis, Direct, Indirect and Consensus.

Some Nigerians had initially appeared to have been uncomfortable with the Consensus Option. However, a critical look at it makes it very clear that Consensus is almost a non-existent option. If every Aspirant, according to the Bill, that indicates interest in running for a particular position shall write a letter of withdrawal before a Consensus Candidate can emerge as a Political Party's flag-bearer, it would be as good as having no Consensus. Therefore, Consensus, as an Option, poses no obstacle(s).

Mr President, Sir, you know there has been a very strong suspicion that you would, ordinarily, not be comfortable contemplating a thorough transparent Electoral System. Many Nigerians believe you know that your Administration has done terribly badly and, so, also know that if elections are conducted freely and transparently today in Nigeria that your Party, APC, would fail abysmally. They, therefore, believe that you may not wish to give your assent to any Bill that intends to guarantee a free, fair and credible Electoral System.

Mr President, Sir, it is being rumoured that even the latest version of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill will not be signed by you. It is being speculated that you will rely on the clause that makes it compulsory for Political Appointees who want to contest elections to resign before their Party's Primary Election, as your ground not to sign the Bill.

Mr President, Sir, this type of rumour should not, at all, be heard in a country like ours. Despite the incivility that characterized Nigeria of late because of unprecedented barbarism by Fulani terrorists, our country should be considered a civilized polity. Even in Banana Republics, this type of reasoning would be too appalling to be heard.

Yes, it has been speculated that your Honourable Attorney-General and Minister of Justice wants to be Governor of Kebbi State. No doubt, he is entitled to his legitimate aspiration. But, Mr President, Sir, the personal ambition of an individual working for you and accumulating enormous wealth for himself and his family should not constitute an inhibition to Nigeria's democracy and growth. Why, in the first instance, should a Political Appointee who wants to contest an election not be willing and prepared to resign? He must not have his cake and eat it!

Mr President, Sir, I most humbly plead with you to be patriotic and altruistic by giving your assent to this Bill. If your major interest and concern is to protect your Political Appointees who want to contest in 2023, Sir, you could assent to the Amendment Bill and immediately request the National Assembly, which is believed to be a rubber stamp, to amend that section of the Bill.

Sir, you know without giving assent to the Bill as currently before you, 2023 elections will be a mere jamboree. It would be characterized by ruthless and unprecedented rigging by your Political Party, APC.
The electoral flaws would be worse than those of 1983, that were said to have been one of the reasons you had given for overthrowing the constitutionally-enthroned Government of President Shehu Shagari.

Besides, as long as you continue to dribble and delay on the Electoral Bill, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, can not start effective preparation.

Mr President, Sir, above all, I want to express my worry over your suspected insincerity in addressing Nigeria's Electoral Necessity. I am more worried because of a very ugly, condemnable and unacceptable development in the West African Sub-region. Recent Military Coups d'etat in Mali and Burkina Faso demand that the Nigerian Political Class should not create any loopholes that could give cause to any anti-democratic interest to consider being opportunistic.

Mr President, Sir, I had a very hectic January and, so, decided to give myself some rest from writing this February. But convinced that your action or inaction on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill is a Matter of Great Urgent Public Importance, I decided to break my self-advised leave in order, like Senator Ben Bruce would say, make common sense.

Mr President, Sir, Patriotism calls and this might be your last opportunity to write your name in Gold. I sincerely pray you do not miss it.

Thank you, Mr President and kindly accept the assurances of my highest esteem.

Sir Don Ubani is a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Abia State and writes from Asa.

Ok

Hmmm

Well tailored, but ear they pain this president him go hear? And he is busy stopping everyone from traveling out of naija while his own family is using the national jet as there private cab for traveling out of the same country

Will he hear?