In constitution must be jealously guided’

not fall. We must get to a point where we respect our laws and our institutions, especially the sensitive institutions like INEC. The whole world is looking at them.

Each time any step is taken by INEC, there will always be two sides to the story, those that are in support and those that are not in support. So, my counsel to INEC is to do what is right at every point in time, the heavens will not fall, and what they have done in this circumstance is the right thing. It is a message that INEC is not going to be available to be pushed around, and I pray and hope that they will keep faith with that particular stance even as we go into 2019 elections - that they will not be available to be pushed around or manipulated by any of the parties, not necessarily the party that is controlling the centre at the moment, many of the parties. That is the only way that whatever result that INEC churns out in the 2019 election will not become a source of unrest and dispute in this nation. So, INEC has done exactly what it should do. There is no point for anybody looking for any constitutional loophole, the laws are very clear. The literal meaning of the law must be given to it. The timeline has passed, let APC go home and leak its wounds and learn a lesson and let every other party learn their lesson as well. to sell your vote, it means that you don’t even have the moral right to question the performance of that government.

Again, that is also a fallout of the state of degeneration of values. I am sorry to say that because of the level of poverty on our land; a lot of Nigerians have lost every sense of selfdignity. That is the truth because a man who has not eaten for two, three days and who does not know where he will get the meal from and suddenly, somebody dangles N5,000 at him, apart from asking him to vote for the person that you will be instructed to vote for, even if the man asks you to go and kill, you will kill. So, until the government consciously reduces the level of poverty in the land, let people’s sense of dignity be restored, we would be going round the circle. And I am sorry to say that our politicians know this very well and they play on it. They know that a hungry man will do anything just to survive.

Secondly, there is a need to do a serious reorientation of our people. At every level, we must make people realize that “when you sell your votes, it is like selling your birthrights and once you sell your birthrights; it means that you have subjected yourselves to slavery, and do you want to subject yourselves to slavery for another four years?

Thirdly, people must be made to realize that if we are able to get the right people into government, turning things around can be achieved in two, three years. It is possible to turn things around in this country in less than three years if we are able to get people with integrity and fear of God, people with the spirit of contentment and people who are not out because of self-aggrandizement. So, we need to educate our people, especially the youths, who are in the majority and this is the best time to do it.

I will not want us to go into that area now because that matter is before a competent tribunal and I am sure some of these issues are part of the issues that would be canvassed in the course of that trial. But as I said, if it is true, what I have said earlier is the antidote. People must be told that if they sell their votes now, they must not have the right to question the man if he does not perform in office for the next four years.

I will say that where there is a will, there is a way. We have electoral umpires in this country who have written their names in gold, somebody like Humphrey Nwosu, who conducted the June 12 election. That is a man whose record has remained unbeaten by my own assessment. And whatever you do, either in private or in public life, it becomes a reference point tomorrow. I know that INEC as presently constituted is led by men of impeccable integrity, especially the last set of commissioners that were appointed. I wouldn’t want to mention names but we know them and we are hoping and praying that they will not fail this time around.

It is very easy, just do what is right, the heavens will not fall, and know that whatever you do today, generations yet unborn will read about it as a reference point. We must get to a point as Nigerians and individuals where we will say that if I do what is right, I will die, if I do what is wrong, I will die, it is better for me to do what is right because whether I do wrong or I do right, I will still die. It will get to that point. That is the only way to go.

I also want to believe that the last two elections in Ekiti and Osun are very good opportunity to test-run what we expect.

We must also be conscious that we don’t have this re-run or inconclusive election. Those states are not too big, so, if we are serious, there was no reason why the elections shouldn’t have been concluded at a go. And that is what is bringing all these insinuations that some people have decided to cause mayhem in order to invalidate the outcome. The whole world is watching, our children are watching and generations coming behind us are watching. I keep saying that until we get to a point where those who are seeking electoral offices are seeking it to serve, not people that are jobless, frustrated and people who cannot make it in life, we will never get it right. So, we must be able to check their pedigree. We must be able to know how they have governed their homes, how they have represented their homes and the testimonies they have from their children, from their workers and neighbours. We must get to that point. It is the mal-functioning and the problems with card readers. You must take into consideration, the peculiar terrain of some parts of this country and the level of literacy. I will suggest that whatever reform we put in place must ensure that people are not disenfranchised. Once you disenfranchise a man, it is like taking from him, the right to decide who should govern him and manage the resources meant for the community, and that should not be allowed to happen. There is no reason why our standard of life should be this low. Every index that has to do with human life in Nigeria is low.