PROF ONYEKPE LISTS REASONS JONATHAN COULD HAVE ANNULLED 2015 ELECTION

A Professor of History and Strategic Studies, Mr. Nkem Onyekpe has advanced cogent reasons former President Goodluck Jonathan could have critically questioned and even annulled the historic presidential election held in 2015.


Onyekpe categorically argued that as a then sitting President of Nigeria, Jonathan had no fewer than five valid grounds upon which he could have predicated an objection to the processes and outcomes of the election which both local and international communities described as a major test to the country's fledgling democracy.


He, however, extolled Jonathan for taking an unprecedented action when he accepted the results of the election and also placed a telephone call across to congratulate his major rival, General Muhammadu Buhari.



Prof. Nkem Onyekpe delivering a lecture 


In a-47 page lecture entitled "The Anioma Nation and Democratic Consolidation in Delta State", the University of Lagos Professor predicated his first argument on the suspicious creation of more polling centres in the northern part of the country without a commensurate establishment of such additional centres in the southern divide of the country.


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He maintained that when it was clear that voter's cards were not available for many registered voters in the strongholds of Jonathan in the south-south and south-east geopolitical zones and "when the card reader severally rejected him, his wife and his mother", the ex-President could have taken actions that would have jeopardized the electoral process.


Onyekpe who spoke at Ejeme-Aniogor, Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, during the fourth biennial public lecture/grand civic reception in honour of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, averred that Jonathan could have sounded the alarm  when it became "obvious that while the 'educationally backward' or 'less developed' states of the north did not have or had only few voided votes, the 'educationally highly developed' states of the south had many voided votes".


Lastly, Onyekpe insisted that Jonathan could have tolled the ignoble path of annuling the 2015 presidential polls "when his supporters cried foul at the management of the presidential election by the electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)" and other agencies involved in the contest.


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The Professor said Jonathan was not an opportunist and, therefore, refused to explore the advantage of his incumbency to the detriment of the entire country.

He said: "He did not tear his voter's card! Instead, he pleaded with the entire nation for understanding and cooperation with the INEC. He avoided the Machiavellian path. He chose, instead, the path of peace and honour.


"In good conscience, he listened to the inner voice of reason, wisdom, and courage, and conceded victory to his major rival, General Muhammadu Buhari, and congratulated him well before the conclusion of the election.


"From the point of view of his supporters and loyalists within the (then) ruling PDP and his government, and outside, that was most humiliating. But it was a sacrifice he had to make to ensure the survival of the Nigerian nation.


"He could not as a President afford to preside over the violent dismemberment of the Nigerian nation as 'dog and baboon' soak in blood. It must be emphasized that within the limit of our knowledge, this singular action of Goodluck Jonathan as President of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the nation, was hitherto unprecedented in world modern history".


The scholar called on leaders in the country to "imbibe the exemplary transcendental pacificist spirit and attitude of Goodluck Jonathan", adding that Jonathan's action should serve as a timely lesson for all leaders.