Last year, there was a production at the National Theatre, which focused on elections in a fictitious African country. The premise was that the elections being held in this make-belief country were of the utmost significant level because there were the first democratic elections being held since the military took over. I soon discovered that this “fictitious” African nation was none other than Nigeria because the bloody characters were speaking Igbo. With Chuks Iwuji in the lead and a splendid performance from him by the way, the guy knows how to make you fall in love with theatre and the characters he takes on. Oh well, back to the flipping elections…the English observer sent to the country to observe the free and fair elections in ‘this country that was conjured’ up by the writer was from some small village in England, which ended with the words ‘Shire.’ So, it could be Shropshire, Derbyshire among the many shires in the UK. She was having a not so great time in her marriage but found fulfillment in observing elections in Africa where ballot papers were missing, people were being turned away and others getting the beating of their life because they campaigned . It was her one big chance to change history and she was hell bent on making it happen.
So, she got involved in the political system of the country, which I believe observers are to stay clear from and she managed to get some polling stations to allow people vote, provided more ballot papers, needless to say the rest is history.
So, I have taken that instance and every other instance in the playground of Britain, called Africa and the international community, who make it their life’s ambition to observe African nations during elections, to mean the fact that, they will always come out and say, the election was not free and fair. Something always goes horribly wrong…they didn’t have enough ballot papers, people who are dead voted or ballot papers went missing among the many other reasons we have been given over the years about the fraudulent elections in Africa.
I strongly suggest Britain takes a good look at itself and ask, what was free and fair about this election? If people came to blows in Hackney, others were turned away, they were not enough ballot papers and oh, did I add, the issue of election fraud. It was in the news the other day that 18 people registered to vote in a house, which can take a maximum of 5. Hmm…sounds fishy to me. And to make matters worse, we have a hung parliament and the very idea that David Cameron could well be Prime Minster for the next few years is one of the most unsettling things I have woken up to recently. I just do not trust the man or a word that comes from him. Then again, let him get the job and see what he makes of it. I sure hope he gets fried if he does not make good on getting the economy back on track because people like promises but when you do not deliver, hell hath no fury like citizens scorned and desperate for miracles.
Hence, I am of the opinion that since Jonathan Goodluck sacked Iwu or Igu or whatever his name is, the former head of the Electoral commission in Nigeria, maybe , Britain, can call on the new guy to help them investigate this debacle that looms over their head right now. Questions are being asked and people are getting apologies. However, I do not think that is enough. We are tax payers and demand a thorough investigation to determine why we were not allowed to cast our vote. We believe the best people to carry out the job will be the now reformed and re-branded Nigerian Electoral Commission.
Any takers on this suggestion to the British Government. I believe it is a fine initiative, so we can truly see the face of justice and the principle of human rights at work.
Image of The Observer Production: National Theatre
Image of Hung Parliament Caricature: Jolly Politics Blog
