The Shambolic President & Presidential Election By Pius Okaneme

The presidential election of 25th February, 2023 has thrown many Nigerians into a spin going to nowhere.  I have been trying to reconcile the actions of President Buhari leading to the election.  He first initiated the currency redesign policy as an attempt to control the excessive amount of the naira in circulation which is widely believed to encourage vote buying by politicians, and at the same time, cut other criminalities and economic weaknesses associated with it.  The act is a commendable policy by any stretch.

It is surprising that the president stands aloof while the chairman of INEC calls the presidential election results coming from inflated figures cooked up by government officials. The display by observers on social media of video recordings of INEC officials and the police enabling this contravention of the people’s trust in the integrity of the election process did not shake the president to intervene.  One can imagine that the president being a product of election corruption will not be moved by the roughing of voters by thugs in an attempt to disenfranchise them.

Thrown into the stew of mess, the Supreme Court has reversed the naira redesign policy after the INEC has called the result of the presidential election.  I had with confidence told an old lady in my community prior to the expiry date of the naira redesign policy that there was no going back.  My reason being that the measure will among other good things, control the inflation of the economy.  She rushed to the market to spend her condemned notes at an extortion rate.  I now panic whenever I think of running into her.  What logical explanation can I give her at this time?

The president that seemed bent on controlling the excessive flow of the naira in circulation in order to cut back on the tendency of electorates being induced by politicians to win their vote, watched as the INEC chairman called results from manipulated figures both via the computer system and mutilation of numbers from the polling units and in violation of the official election guidelines.  The outcome of the presidential election has crushed the spirit of many progressive Nigerians who hoped for a better future which the election preparation by INEC tended.  However, you cannot bury the truth.  It will rise like the sun over the dark cloud.