The news is everywhere that the 2011 general elections have been shifted from January to April by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) because of the time constraint, given the litany of activities it has to complete to ensure credible, free and fair elections in Nigeria.  It is also no longer news that the expiration date of this Yar’Adua/Jonathan administration is May 29, 2011. Even President Goodluck Jonathan has restated his commitment to hand over on this date. However, one question remains unanswered: Is May 29 hand over date realizable?

Given the turn of events in the country, from the amendment of the 1999 Constitution, to the Electoral Act, and even the issue of conduct and completion of voters’ registration, the workload is mountainous. Nevertheless, I agree that INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega is a man of credibility.  I also reckon that President Jonathan is a man of integrity. My dilemma is if INEC, in a bid to ensure transparency, fails to finish all the electoral processes before May 29, 2011, what happens? I ask this question because the litigations that may result in the aftermath of the elections, the re-run process arising from cancelled voting units, which are usual in Nigeria due to prevalent electoral malpractices, could delay the hand over process.

The May 29, date is known as Democracy Day in Nigeria, and always the day set aside for the inauguration of a new government on the expiration of the former or celebration of the emergence of democracy in the country. However, there is a serious dust in the air concerning May 29, 2011, due to the serious issues before INEC. Prof Jega should do everything possible to conduct credible elections and ensure proper hand over on May 29.

Indeed, the realization of the May 29, handover date will depend, on the following: commencement and satisfactory completion of voters’ registration exercise, conclusion of recruitment and training of ad-hoc staff, retreat for and re-orientation of INEC’s staff, procurement and deployment of voting machines and other electoral materials, engagement of credible election monitors within and outside Nigeria, among others. Since 1999, when Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar’s military administration fixed May 29, as handover date for democratically elected government officials to assume office, despite many activists’ outcry that it was supposed to be October 1, the date has not changed.

However, a section of the political elite, in their characteristic manner, have recently raised false alarm in some quarters, about alleged plans to change the handover date. They even fear that the president plans to elongate his tenure. Although the Presidency has denied this allegation, these political hawks do not seem to be satisfied yet.

Nevertheless, I am convinced that President Jonathan is not like other African presidents, who believe they were born in power, and must die in power. Thus, he has vowed to ensure that the handover date of May 29 remains sacrosanct. Now, if the president plans to change the handover date or elongate his tenure, why did he immediately release the N74billion budget for INEC to conduct credible, free and fair elections come 2011.

I must say that their accusation of plots to elongate the Yar’Adua/Jonathan Presidency is out of place. In fact, the president has done nothing to suggest any plan to elongate his tenure. He is completely innocent for now. I must say that some of the allegations are coming from politicians whose hands are not clean. Moreover, a man that does evil is always afraid of evil. The same applies to the woman whose stock in trade is to plot evil plans and the downfall of a man.

Some of the political elite that are afraid of the president are always in this habit. They have done it before. They think they can do it again. That is why they annulled the most credible election in Nigeria’s political history with impunity. They shunned the international community’s observation that the elections of 1993 were the freest and fairest. They did not show any remorse! Yet, they claim today to be democrats, and have the best solutions to Nigeria’s problems.

As a social critic, I am not the president’s spokesperson. Moreover, I cannot claim to be one of his cronies. I even criticize him when the need arises. But in this case, Jonathan and Jega appear to me to be innocent, given their dogged commitment to the course of credible, free and fair elections in 2011.

The Nigerian people know the political actors and gladiators in this country. They know those who cause problems, plot and execute coups, use their criminally acquired wealth to fund usurpers of dully elected governments, and compromise Nigeria’s interest before some greedy foreign governments just to further their ambitions.

I know that President Jonathan is an academic who came into politics with clear records from Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) as Bayesla State Governor D. S.P. Alamieyeseigha’s deputy in 1999. The same goes to Prof Jega, a distinguished university don, union activist, and radical social critic. He was nominated to the National Council of State and the National Assembly for confirmation as INEC chairman with the aim of correcting the deluge of misdeeds of the past INEC leadership. Therefore, I see the convergence of these two personalities and qualities as the precursor and desired elixir to deliver credible elections, and handover to those adjudged fair and best winners by May 29, 2011. Their pedigrees make the handover date realizable.

Nevertheless, a sound of warning to those who think they can hijack the political landscape for their selfish interest. They should know that this is not a military era, which they operated or worked under for years without a constitution. They should know that there is law and order, and that the rule of law and the constitution must be applied, complied with and respected by all actors irrespective of their leanings. They should give Jonathan a chance within the remaining months to deliver good governance to Nigerians. 

All hands must be on deck, from the media, judiciary, doctors, engineers, teachers, nurses, architects, politicians, farmers and fishermen, market women and business moguls, as well as the poor masses in the rural areas, to ensure that the promise of Mr. President is realized. Let us not allow political jobbers and vampires to put the rest of us to shame by thwarting the president’s noble vision for Nigeria. Let us work in synergy towards May 29. It is possible. Let us do it.

Ogulu is of Niger Delta Students’ Initiative, and resides in Port Harcourt.

Enoch Ogulu