Home Opinion My one  vote will count if, by Professor Nwaocha Ogechukwu
Opinion - January 5, 2023

My one  vote will count if, by Professor Nwaocha Ogechukwu

The last time I had  serious argument with my colleague , we trashed out the meaning and need of One  vote out of 100 million votes.

It was a serious  argument because I believe that my vote as one  vote out of 100million votes in Nigeria shouldn’t count. My one  vote cannot make Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT), Peter Obi (PO), or Atiku Abubakar (AA) win going by the long heavy weight of electoral malpractice  and the Nigerian political gwu gwu yaya in Nigeria and going by the one third or two third policy because if APC wins 20 states, I wonder the meaning of my vote to LP and PDP. Will my one vote counts on margin?

If Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) wins in 15 states and All Progressive Congress (APC) in 11 states, that will be Big blow against Labour Party (LP) including other parties.

I am sure that LP will sweep the entire south east but I am not sure of Imo State because of the robotic calculation  and cyber movement of its electoral  practice with the ruling party.

To start with , I will not judge or conclude who will win based on various results of opinion polls from different querriable  sources because I understand Nigerian society and its political gwu gwu yaya including the pathological propaganda and marginal hoaxes used as political tactics against opponents . My question is “Since Nigerian is marked with gross political cum electoral  frauds and  malpractice , will my only one vote counts?”

Are we voting based on credibility , tribalism or personal sentiment? Because I have seen millions of reports , articles, media publicity that portrays the credibility verses criticisms against these three major political characters on  personal grudges verses emotional attachment  and tribal evaluation verses lenses of ethnic bigotry against them. I am 100% sure that an average Igbo man will do and undo or do everything withing his capacity to make sure that PO wins , likewise an average Fulani man for Atiku  and many Yorubas for Tinubu which still boils down to rigging and “cost of strength”  for choice of candidate.

Because in as much as an Igbo man is struggling for his candidate in Anambra State , he will do ” all the  master karate and Bruce Lee boxing ” to protect his votes, protect rigging against his candidate , and ensure the his candidate wins at all costs. I repeat , ” at all cost” because while the opponents are taking advantage to rig him out, he will counter the rigging with ” his mastery of Anthony Joshua’s heavy weight boxing” which still boils down to counter rigging and malpractice.

Now ” who is free from rigging because if you don’t rig they must rig you out at all costs?” If you try to protect your  votes ( if you win) be ready for the heavy breeze of armed thugs.

In as mush as you are trying your best to protect your votes ( especially when you know that you are winning  let’s just be honest) , other opponents must use a die hard strategy to maneuver issues at the polling units which must definitely lead to violence as a result of conflict against box snatching , vote buying , result manipulation because every concerned party agent wants his candidate to win in his polling unit.

During the last 2019 concluded election, I served as the SPO and collation officer for one of the Local Governments in Imo state to handle one  ward with 12 polling units and support two  colleagues who are still fresh in Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Adhoc job, I watched different horror election movies which triggered one beautiful lady to say to me ” Doctor , I know that my vote will never count. Even if I vote one  million times , who will win will still win!”

I underlined that statement ” who will win will still win ” in the tablet of my heart. I asked her what she meant by that comment. She told me that the election has been rigged with their mastered plan months prior to this election. I tried to convince her to vote wisely , but she laughed the fool of me  and saw me as a ” Johnny Just Come” (J.J.C) in Nigerian Election.

“So you mean that your one  vote will never count?” I asked her .

She laughed wiredly at me and told me that even if it’s 10,000 votes , it will still not count .

“Hmmmmmm,” I hummed at her jesting against Nigerian electoral deterioration. Instantly she point polling unit 4  for me. I quickly visited there but quickly freezed immediately I saw 5 heavily armed youths surrounding every body ( I am saying fact) . Those “unknow  gun youths ” asked about the SPO. One of the party agents ( from APGA ) pointed at me . Guy , I freezed and started pissing on my black trouser. Whether to faint  or to “decode the race of Chioma Ajunwa and Ben Johnson ” was my indecisive faith. They waved at me and told me to come. I electrifically walked to them slowly with a fearful smile on my face.

“Are you not Dr. Oge from Alvan?” They boldly asked. Hmmmm, so these people know me very well. I smiley noodled my head with little faint of fear in my heart. Two of the thugs drew closer to me , but I have started feeling the hotness of my urine on my trouser and my leg with my heart beat increased when I stared at their black automated AK 49 guns.

” Dr, we want to be kind with every body. Just leave this place and tell the party agents to leave because we will soon open fire.”

I took a deep breath and remained confused because of the embarrassment of the pissed urine on my trouser and how to save innocent souls from been killed having perceived their determination to carry out their duties at all cost.

The tallest among them told me ” who will win go still win. Even if una like vote 10,000 times!” I quickly recalled the answer of the former  lady I met first at the polling unit 1.

But to be frank with you , the eldest among them should not be more than 40 years by my assessment.

” Alright, let me me me me talk to them.”  I quickly stammered and agreed  just to respect their polite approach and prevent spilling of blood with the intention to go out and call the military immediately. I entered inside the small crowd and talked to the agents . Three of them agreed to leave , one agreed on settlement and 2 porously remained stubborn and started attacking me believing that nothing will happen because to them , they know those boys and nothing will happen to them as indigenes of the village. I kept my intention of involving the military secret to myself because I don’t want anybody to spy me behind . I talked to the crowd of about 150 voters to remain calm and not to fight. Instantly , the three agents disappeared and I immediately joined the disappearing business only to hear different ghostly and sweet series of gun shots on the air on my way to call the military.

When the military arrived with me, we only saw nobody and ID cards of two party agents on the ground. All the sensitive and insensitive INEC materials were no where to be found. Even my own INEC ID card was no where to be  found .

This nasty experience has made me to question the meaning and value of one  vote during Election in Nigeria because I am sure that many polling units in Nigeria will still suffer the shocks and  horrors of thuggery and violence to perfect electoral malpractice of advantaged political party at all cost.

In as much as the elites in Nigeria are preaching for ” one vote counts with transparency ” , I still want them to understand that the ” gwu gwu yaya of election ” are the struggles and battles of the Titanic youths. In as much as every concerned citizen of this country is praying for electing the fairer and better candidate ( which I am also in full support, though sleeping) , I am suggesting that the youths of the ” ragingly marginalized party” should be armed and equipped with Accountable, transparent, and equitable gadgets to fight off their armed counterparts with integrity  because for  one  vote to count their must be counter forces against opposing forces, not elites suggestions and mere innocent preaching against armed forces because this is a scenario of ” evil Youths verses determined youths” because the determined youths will help fight off violence, the forces and longer throat of bribery, the blind dots of silent result’s manipulation, and the spirit of confusion In this January and February 2023 election.

“…. For  one  vote to count their must be counter forces against opposing forces, not elites suggestions and mere innocent preaching against armed forces because this is a scenario of ” evil Youths verses determined youths” because the determined youths will help fight off violence, the forces and longer throat of bribery, the blind dots of silent result’s manipulation, and the spirit of confusion In this January and February 2023 election_ .”

Professor  Ogechukwu, Human Right Activist ( IHRC)

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