Speaking at a town hall meeting in Lafia, Nasarawa State, last Wednesday, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, was emphatic what he planned to do should, in his opinion, the next elections be rigged. Addressing the gathering, he said: “You didn’t ask about what we are going to do if people rig election next year. Let me assure you, number one, this coming election, we will rig those who rig it…And let me assure you, number two; if I’m elected the President of Nigeria, nobody will rig election in this country again because the first thing we need to do is to strengthen our parties, strengthen the process.” His promise to “rig those who rig”, a euphemism for extrajudicial killings, is only a little distance removed from the fiery oath of former deputy senate president, Delta State’s Ovie Omo-Agege, to “kill those who rig…without the intervening variable of the courts”.
The question Mr Obi and others like him who threaten Armageddon have failed to answer is why they seem obsessed with rigging. What makes them squirm? The answer is simple. They continue to insist that the 2023 polls were rigged, despite failing to explain why they hold that belief. Not only do they make light of their lack of evidence, they also instead indicate that their claim of rigging is entirely based on gut feeling. For political leaders who aspire to rule Nigeria or make laws for the country, it is tragic that they embrace lies, recourse to populism, and incite the country and their supporters to violence. Yet, Mr Obi continues to pay lip service to peaceful polls and non-violent campaigns.
