Brief History of Election Rigging in Nigeria

(1) We have been at this crossroad before and as we know from history, when things get this desperate, the outcome tends to be ugly

(2) Contrary to popular belief, our first and second republics did not collapse due to corruption but due to election rigging. Today, a military takeover is not possible but widespread mayhem is

(3) In 1964, the NPC massively rigged the federal elections and in 1965 went one better in the regional elections, making Nigeria ungovernable. We all know what followed

(4) By 1964, It was clear that Ahmadu Bello was losing the plot as he began asking his guests to sit on cushions, rather than chairs. At the time, Ahmadu Bello has fallen into the kind of mental morass that President Buhari appears to be currently afflicted with

(5) In 1983, we saw how the NPN massively rigged elections. Every Nigerian knows they did not win that election

(6) We are facing a similar crisis today. President Buhari has gone to recruit the services of the governors of Maradi and Zinder provinces in Niger Republic to campaign for him. How can you be that desperate for power?

(7) Yesterday in Kano, these two governors shameless drove into town with thousands of their kinsmen to interfere in the domestic affairs of Nigeria. No doubt, they will be busing in millions of voters too next month

(8) To make matters worse, the criminal Abdullahi Ganduje was at the rally too. His presence makes a mockery of President Buhari’s war against corruption. I ask myself why President Buhari is not moving against Ganduje the way Tinubu is moving against Governor Ambode in Lagos State

(9) When a governor is tainted, even if you cannot impeach him, you keep him at arms length as Obasanjo did with Joshua Dariye

(10) This mad obsession with power by the cabal surrounding the president is scary. I am sure Aisha just wants her husband back home. My fear now is that even if Buhari loses and wants to leave, they will not let him. I do not see him having the mental clarity and coherence to be able to defy them.