General Elections in Nigeria (1959-2019) and Some Fallouts !! By Oloye ‘Lekan Alabi

General Elections in Nigeria (1959-2019) and Some Fallouts !! By Oloye ‘Lekan Alabi.

Now that the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has signalled the start of campaigns for next year’s General Elections in the country,one can not but join millions of optimists that all the key players will please play the game according to universal rules.

And who are the key players?

(1)politicians(2)political parties(3)INEC(4)media(5)voters,(6)law  enforcement agencies,particularly the Nigeria Police Force and (7)the Judiciary.

Though then a nine year-old primary two pupil of the Seventh-Day Adventist Primary School,Ita Saku,Oke Foko,Ibadan,my beloved paternal grandmother,the late Mama Asma’u Odunola Alabi,the Woman Leader of the NCNC under the leadership of the avatar Alhaji(Hon.)Adegoke Adelabu,alias “PENKELEMESI”,took me along,in 1959,to the Gaa/Ile ‘Ba polling booth,during that year’s General Elections.

I saw some lawless politicians line the verandah of the upstairs building of a wealthy businessman in the area to ‘monitor’ and intimidate voters,until grandma lodged a complaint at the Gege station of the now-defunct Local Government Police.

President Muhammadu Buhari,in this year’s Independence Anniversary broadcast,has appealed to all for free, peaceful,transparent and credible elections next year. I pray the stakeholders earlier identified above will heed Buhari’s advice.Otherwise,past experiences have been bitter and drawbacks.

I wish to recall past elections and the fallouts witnessed/covered by my humble self either as a reporter,observer and party agent,through this almanac.

(A)Pic 1: The late Chief ‘Bola Ige,SAN,campaigning during the 1979 governorship election in the old Oyo State,which he won on the ticket of the Unity Party of Nigeria(UPN).Talk of public speaking,Chief Ige stood out in the mould of crowd mesmerisers such as Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola,Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu,Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe,Chief Obafemi Awolowo etc.The politicians of the past dwelt on issues-based campaigns,during which their parties ideologies,manifestoes were analysed to win votes.

Pic 2: R-L – Chief ‘Bola Ige,Bashorun  Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola,GCFR and my humble self,Senior Chief ‘Lekan Alabi,Maye Olubadan of Ibadanland,during MKO’s courtesy call on Chief Ige at his Bodija Estate home during his(Abiola)presidential campaign tour to Ibadan,Oyo State on Tuesday,9th February,1993.I coordinated the visit in my capacity as the Secretary-General of the MKO ABIOLA DYNAMIC GROUP and a former press secretary to the late Chief Ige, when he was the governor of the old Oyo State(1979-1983).

Pic 3: My review of the book,”BAPTISM OF FIRE”,written by Olufemi Ogunsanwo,exKing’s College,Lagos,ex Oxford University,UK,exHarvard,USA,who was a journalist with the Daily Times and New Nigeria newspaper s.He had a brilliant  career in the media here and abroad,after which he later founded a community bank in Lagos,but escaped with his life by luck,when he ventured into politics.His harrowing political experiences are detailed in the book.In my review,”IJE DE(FOOD IS READY)politicians,particularly new entrants,are cautioned on the dangers in the Nigerian version of politics.

Pic 4: Cover of Femi Ogunsanwo’s book

Pic 5: My press release of 14th March,1983 announcing the ‘blunder’ by the OYS branch of FEDECO,wherein Governor ‘Bola Ige was recorded as a “woman” during that year’s Voters Review!.In 1983,I was seconded from the former Television Service of Oyo State(TSOS)Ibadan,where I was Senior Editor,Current Affairs Editor,to Governor Ige,as his press secretary in charge of television matters.I and Femi Mapaderun,from RADIO O-Y-O were seconded to join Gov.Ige’s original press secretary,Dapo Aderinola,with Dr(then Mr)Yemi Farounbi,as the Chairman of the Bureau of Information and Publicity in the Governor’s Office,Agodi,to bolster the dwindling image of Gov Ige and his government.

Pic 6: Gov Ige’s letter of protest dated 9th September,1983,to the state’s FEDECO Commissioners on his fears/doubts of/about the impartially of the State Secretary of FEDECO. All our fears were confirmed.

(Note: photographs are not currently available).