…Still Some Unforced Errors

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f you ever thought that some of the nation’s critical institutions are learning from events of recent past, then, such a person might be living in fantasyland. Penultimate week, some unforced and clearly avoidable errors were pointed out and largely condemned, with the intention that those concerned would pick a lesson or two. Sadly, it does not appear so.

Again, last week, the police summoned Senator Ademola Adeleke, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in yesterday’s gubernatorial election in Osun State, to appear over allegation of exam malpractice a while back.

In a statement, the police alluded to their investigation, which revealed that Adeleke, his family and associates connived with some school administrators to allow him sit for the National Examination Council (NECO) in 2017. The candidate was subsequently directed to immediately turn himself in to face prosecution.

This had almost become a major political crisis before President Muhammadu Buhari stepped in and stopped Idris from inviting Adeleke days to the elections. A presidential source, whose name was not mentioned, told reporters that the President had directed that Adeleke should not be invited until after Saturday’s election. It would send wrong signals.

It is therefore trite to ask: where was discretion here? Inviting the candidate of a major opposition candidate a few days to his election? What was the haste for? What would change if the police had waited? Truth is, these worrisome unforced errors cannot continue otherwise, there would be a time some of them may not be remediable.

However, President Buhari should be commended for stepping in to end police impunity. The plot was obviously to invite Adeleke, arrest and detain him in Abuja to stop him from participating in the election process. Thankfully, the president’s decisive intervention aborted that plot.