RESULTS AT A GLANCE S/N NAME PARTY NO OF VOTES
1. Umaru Musa Yar’Adua PDP 24,638,063
2. Muhammadu Buhari ANPP 6,605,299
3. Atiku Abubakar AC 2,637,848
4. Orji Uzor Kalu PPA 608,803
5. Attahiru Bafarawa DPP 289,224
6. Chukwuemeka Ojukwu APGA 155,947
7. Pere Ajuwa AD 89,241
8. Rev. Chris Okotie FP 74,049
9. Patrick Utomi ADC 50,849
10. Asakarawon Olapere NPC 33,771
11. Ambrose Owuru HDP 28,519
12. Arthur Nwankwo PNP 24,164
13. Emmanuel Okereke ALP 22,677
14. Lawrence Adedoyin APS 22,409
15. Aliyu Habu Fari NDP 21,974
16. Galadima Liman NNPP 21,665
17. Mazi Ogbu CPP 14,027
18. Sunny Okogwu RPN 13,566
19. Goodswill Nnaji BNPP 11,705
20. Osagie Obayuwara NCP 8,229
21. Olapade Agoro NAC 5,752
22. Abone Solomon NMDP 5,664
23. Isa Odidi ND 5,408
24. Aminu Gambari Abubakar NUP 4,355
25. Mojisola Obasanjo MMN 4,309
What an election never seen before in modern history, and in a nation that is trying to clear its image of corruption from the international community. An election where a major ethnic group (Nd'Igbo) could not tally up to a million votes in all the votes garnered. An election Nd'Igbo are applauding a PDP daylight robbery when international observers including the European Union Observer Mission (EUOM) acknowledged the elections were crippled "by poor organizations, lack of essential transparency, widespread irregularirties, significant evidence of fraud particularly during the result collation process, lack of equal conditions for contestants and numerous incidence of violence."
So, on what ground are the Igbo opportunists, especially Igbo Diaspora applauding an election the entire world had rejected on fraudulent basis? On what ground are these Igbo opportunists pumping up because it's lunchtime with cronies alike when the Yorubas and the Sultanates including the almajiris with the help of their masters are running the show while we feed from their crumbs and leftovers? On what ground are Nd'Igbo holding their tongues when all these bad things are happening to us since the post-Civil War era? On what ground should we wait till "Thy Kingdom Come? On what ground, folks?
But I now weep for the Igbo nation because we have entirely lost out in the entrapment called Nigeria. I weep for the Igbo nation because the vagaries and uncertainties that have clouded Nigeria has made us a minority in a nation begun by our forebears. I weep for the Igbo nation because when the Youruba nation had developed its enclave, we, Nd'Igbo, are learning how not to love ourselves more in terms of building community. I weep for the Igbo nation because we have been plundered and demolished. I weep for the Igbo nation because we are now a conquered people even though we may not know it. And, I weep for the Igbo nation because we do not know when it hurts real bad.
And I weep for the Igbo nation!
Last Saturday's election which was announced to the media Monday by a blindfolded Maurice Iwu, tells it all. With all the noise, behind closed door meetings as in yahoogroups, where archives are lost because no one is willing to pay, and the local champions in nooks and crannies of chained letters claiming what they aren't with the haul of all that ogbuefi titles, where are Nd'Igbo today when the bigot Olusegun Obasanjo and his tairlored ngbati-ngbati press played hanky panky with the Igbo mind? Of course Nd'Igbo are hiding here and there with fake names in closed door forums because they failed in building community and are now job seekers homeward bound.
Well, "president-elect" and Governor of Katsina State Umar Yar'Adua is seeking a common ground and wants to work with all of his political opponents. For sure, Igbos will be the first to jump the band wagon. In Yar'Adua's own words, "The contest has come and gone, so must our differences be over in the course of building our dear nation. I wish to thank my opponents in the presidential election. You are all respected Nigerians in your own right. I do believe that your participating in the exercise was driven by a strong faith in Nigreria and your belief that you have what it takes to move Nigeria to the next level. And, I want all Nigerians belonging to other political parties to join hands with the PDP to work hard in order to move this country ahead. We have a great task, and we need all hands on deck."
Meanwhile while Yar'Adua is declared "president-elect," the staff of AC and ANPP are arguing that "results of only 11 states had been collated when the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Maurice Iwu, called a press conference to declare results for the entire 36 states."
No wonder Vice President Atiku lost out entirely because he was busy going to kangaroo courts when he was suppose to fight Obasanjo one-on-one with facts about who is more corrupt rather than running to courts that are equally corrupt as well. But the talakawa lacked tact and exposure. He has never been a smart politician.
At the same time wuruwuru and magomago claimed victory for Yar'Adua, the bad cop image EFCC chief Nuhu Ribadu will sometime this week be elevated to Inspector General of Police (IGP). What that means is OBJ has put everything he wanted into perspective and Orji Kalu and his indicted colleagues should be rest assured that they will be heading to jail in handcuffs upon expiration of the immunity clause that has protected them from prosecution. This time around, no one will be crying for anybody.
I weep for the Igbo nation, and may God help us all!
