The Three Musketeers

Adeola Aderounmu.


The judgment delivered by the presidential election petition tribunal on Nigeria’s Super Tuesday was highly questionable. It cannot be based on the pieces of evidence that showed that the presidential selection process of April 2007 was a complete sham. To the best of my knowledge, that selection process remains the most shameful charade of all time. It cut across human history as the worst attempt to enthrone a democratic leader. However, in the court of law, every man is expected to prove his case beyond the so called “reasonable doubts”.




In recent weeks, a section of Nigerians have continued to praise the Judiciary for asserting its independence and authority. Nigeria has never had it so robust that the Judiciary can nullify fraudulent electoral victories. In some court decisions, the judgments have defiled logic but they fall in line with the rhythm of popular expectations. I am tempted (perhaps wrongly) to assume that the judgments delivered to date are actually not based on the rule of law but on the individuals involved and the expectations of the majority.




It would be nice to feel the rhythm of the general population in Nigeria through an opinion poll so that one can ascertain if the judgments given on the 27th of February followed the same pattern (which is the expectation of the majority). From my own myopic angle, what I see is a preferential judgment based on the three musketeers who are vying for the nation’s top job. I see a judiciary that would rather not add an additional baggage to a boat already in a rocky motion.




I think the judgment was rather an answer to a simple question: between Atiku, Buhari and Yar Adua, in whose hands is Nigeria safer and less corrupt in the next 4 years? The opposition as represented by Buhari and Atiku does not signify anything good for Nigeria.




Buhari was a former coup plotter who had violently and forcefully overthrown democratic governments in the past. He has no business to aspire to be a democratic president. People like him and Babangida should be facing charges relating to treasonable felony. He has been faulted for his religious inclination and apparent non-tolerance of people of divergent beliefs. He must never be allowed to be a civilian president. He has contributed enough to the destruction in Nigeria as a coup plotter and military head.




Atiku is a very corrupt man. As a civil servant he became stupendously rich probably looting and stealing government funds. How can he defend all the wealth that he amassed while in public service? As the vice-president who masterminded the rigging of elections in 1999 and 2003, he has no morality on the issues at stake. He stole so much that he dipped his hand into Petroleum Development Funds and got carried away with it. All the monies stolen by Atiku and his boss Obasanjo were made public knowledge during the third term war of Obasanjo with the rest of the country. How can we forget? When will the likes of Obasanjo and Atiku answer for their corrupt charges. They are the ones who told us how and when they stole!




Somehow, no matter how devilish and anti-democratic the judgment of the court appears, we are still left with very bad people trying to take control of our lives. Let Buhari and Atiku go and sit down. They should return all the monies that they have stolen from Nigeria. Rather than going to the Supreme Court and wasting more looted money, they should give the money to charity or to the 90% of Nigerians who don’t have 2 dollars to spend in a day.




Yar’ Adua must be smiling now. He has a right to be the president of Nigeria but it is good that he has acknowledged that the process (not election) that brought him to power were very fraudulent. His emergence in 2007 points to the persistent power play among those who are hell bent on using Nigeria’s wealth to their selfish benefits. Maurice Iwu, the disconnected umpire must also be celebrating now, probably having a party to laugh at his perceived enemies. No doubt, in Nigeria, the reign of evil is the norm.




This is a country that claims to be the giant of Africa but all that is radiated from her are the attributes of a clown. Beyond this political impasse, ordinary Nigerians want to feel the benefits and dividends of democracy. We want water in our homes, good food on our tables and we long for the basic infrastructure that will add meaning and quality to our lives.




Our schools are dilapidated and they have lost their glories. The primary, secondary
and tertiary institutions are mere shadows of their old selves. The worst roads in the world are probably in Nigeria! Fraudulent activities abound, corruption is a way of life and lawlessness is an acceptable concept. Unemployment is a major problem and our life expectancy points to the poor state of health facilities. We are not tired of recounting our woes as we continue to live with them daily.




While we endure this illegitimate government, one hopes that those who are its beneficiaries will not get carried away by the undue victory at the court of law. In Nigeria, the law has a very short arm and cannot yet deliver all the oppressed and suppressed people. We don’t expect too much from the beneficiaries since they didn’t emerge from our votes but let them not make our lives more miserable than it is at this moment.




I must add that the issues at stake are complicated. The opposition is represented by undesirable elements. Still, based on democratic principles and the enthronement of proper standard for governance, the judgment of the court was simply absolute nonsense. On this particular case, history will judge them as supporting the disenfranchisement of 140m Nigerians. It is not worthwhile repeating all the atrocities and illegalities that went along with the selection process of April 2007. They are too shameful and too scandalous to recall every now and then.





Finally, it is difficult to know where the hope of the common man lies in Nigeria. It is a dilemma having to always choose between the devil and the Dead Sea. The people who are sincere and who can lead Nigeria out of the doldrums have never been given the benefit or opportunity to steer the course of Nigeria. It has been the same sad story, the same sad song since 1960.





The hope and the emancipation of Nigerians remain delusionary but we must keep the dreams alive. We’ll see where we go from here!