2019: MY VOTE IS… (10) FOR
KANO ELDERS
By Bala Muhammad | Published
Date Mar 23, 2019 5:32 AM
Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa
In continuation of our series MY VOTE IS…FOR or AGAINST (also available at
https://saturdaycolumn.blogspot.com and
https://linkedin.com/in/bala-muhammad-0784384), today in Kano and five other Northern
States we are faced with the very serious matter of Supplementary Elections to
Conclude the ‘Inconclusive’ Elections of March 9. Whatever happens today, there
will be a massive, irreversible impact of cosmic proportions on the politics of
the North, the country, and 2013.
In
a Press Conference this Monday addressed by Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa, Chairman
of the Kano Concerned Citizens Initiative (KCCI) known in Hausa as ‘Hadakar Ma
Su Kishin Kano’, the Kano Elders said, among other things:
“No
society can thrive in chaos and discord. Kano has, for centuries, been known to
be the home of peace, the home of civilised political awareness and a pace
setter in all spheres of human endeavour. We must show the same resilience and
sophistication again this time around. Every right-thinking person and lover of
Kano must never allow chaos, disorder and discord to derail the peace and
tranquillity our polity has enjoyed since time immemorial.
“We
have taken keen interest in the latest political activities and interacted with
the leaderships of the major parties in Kano. We exchanged ideas and compared
notes on the strategic areas requiring greater focus and attention for our
common good. KCCI notes and commends the enthusiasm, patience and resilience
exhibited by Kanawa during the Presidential and National Assembly Elections
which came and passed peacefully. The exercise went a long way in proving our
political sagacity.
“We
are however anxious, concerned, disturbed and troubled by the seeming discord
and agitated impatience manifesting in Kano since the collation of the March
9th Governorship and State Assembly Election results, as well the declaration
by INEC that the outcome of the Governorship polls was ‘INCONCLUSIVE’.
“It
is noteworthy that the electoral umpire has made similar declarations in
Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Sokoto and Plateau. We are thus not singled out as the
only state which received the short end of the stick in the March 9th Elections.
KCCI, however, hastens to add that INEC must do everything in its power to
rectify as well as attend to all the perceived challenges which characterised
the two sets of elections. All electoral officials must be told, in no
uncertain terms, to live above board, and that anyone found wanting must
receive the maximum sanction provided for by the Electoral Act and the
Constitution. The onus is on INEC to deliver a fool proof election.
“KCCI
pleads that results of election outcomes must be publicly announced without any
delay. Any act of commission or omission would be squarely placed on INEC’s
shoulders as its officials must be aware that such acts may be the difference
between peace and violence in our state. No violence will be tolerated by Kano.
“In
this vein, it is necessary to plead with all security agencies to remain alert
from now until the formal declaration of the results and after. Sufficient
personnel must be detailed and posted to each of the 234 polling units
scattered over the 88 Registration Areas (Wards) in the 30 affected Local
Governments of the state to make up for the 141,694 votes cancelled by INEC.
“Again,
security agencies must be seen to be upright and above board and completely
nonpartisan. They have done well during previous elections but the re-run
exercise may yet prove to be more arduous and daunting. We expect them to once
more emerge with flying colours. It also becomes imperative to take such
security measures as would prevent people from neighbouring states, who are
non-residents of Kano, from coming in to partake in the March 23rd re-run
elections to forestall unnecessary tension.
“KCCI
calls on the political leaders to desist from unguarded utterances capable of
inflaming passions which could trigger violence. It is incumbent upon them to
strictly abide by the rules of engagement and the law. They should admonish
their members, operatives and followers to be mindful of the full wrath of the
law this time around. Open monetary and other unlawful inducements must never
be condoned during these re-run elections. Kano and Kanawa shall never allow
our state to burn on the account of some politician’s vaulting ambition.
“Our
youths need to wake up to the reality that it is their future which KCCI and
every well-meaning person in Kano is trying to nurture and secure. They should
thus eschew and stay away from violence in cahoots with anybody. Parents and
Community Leaders, therefore, have a heavy moral responsibility to caution
their wards to shun any negative tendencies before, during and after the re-run
electoral exercise. Each and every Bakano, as well as our teaming guests, must
behave well in the weeks ahead and after. We cannot afford to let the polity
overheat. Peace is the only recipe to healthy and positive development.
“The
Media, being the Fourth Estate of the Realm, has got a very pivotal role to
play in all that is before us now and in the future. Fake News, Hate Speech and
political free-for-all on the airwaves and pages of the newspapers must be
curtailed. It is the responsibility of the media and journalists to do all in
their power to blunt unguarded utterances in the name of campaigns or promotion
of candidates. Media organs must do all they can to promote political
correctness. Any deviation from these ideals would be closely monitored and
those found to be spreading rumour or hate speech capable of inciting violence
would be held squarely responsible and dealt with appropriately.
“In
effect, every segment of Kano Society must do all in its power to avoid heating
the polity. This is the time for all of us to turn to Allah, exalted be His
Name, in prayers that peace and harmony become our lot now and always. We must
realise that political chaos will lead to violence, thuggery, looting, mayhem
and, perhaps, unnecessary loss of life and property. That is why the contending
parties must accept the outcome of any endeavour, including elections, as a
divine ordination from Allah, the Almighty.
“Allah
it is Who bestows power or leadership on whomsoever He wills, and wrests away
power from whomsoever He wills. We all know this as true Muslims, and the
penchant of wanting to be or to lead should never sway us from the Righteous
Path.”
AND
OVER IN BAUCHI, WHICH IS IN THE SAME APC-PDP CONUNDRUM:
MUHAMMAD
AZARE (email suppressed on request): Elections may have come and gone, but for
us here in Bauchi we are on the precipice of ‘Inconclusiveness’. This is a
state where President Buhari got massive votes just a couple of weeks ago; yet
see how the electorate has massively de-selected his party on March 9. It is
now obvious that Northern Political Consciousness has come into full maturity.
These governors would have wished their elections took place same day with the
Presidential. Alas! They cheated at the Primaries; now the Secondaries are
cheating them back. Congratulations to the next governor of Bauchi State!
COLUMNIST
– Finally, may Allah help us (Kano, Bauchi, Adamawa, Sokoto, Plateau and Benue)
choose the lesser evil among the gladiators of the APC and the PDP.
Amin.
Amin. Amin.
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