Open letter to Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani

BY NNEDI OGAZIECHI

Many Nigerians were excited when you, Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani, won the governorship primary in Adamawa state, making you the first woman to have won the nomination of a major political party like the All Progressives Congress (APC). Then the court cases challenging your nomination began post nomination and many people held their breath but eventually, you won the case in court.

I had, through My RoundTable Conversation page and other editorial writings, rooted for your candidacy. We need more women in the political space.

Then the election of March 18th came and that of Adamawa was declared inconclusive. The excitement was palpable but the election umpire, INEC, declared the election inconclusive.

Fast forward to April 15th 2023, the date for the supplementary elections and the news filtered out that the resident electoral commissioner in your Adamawa state, one Hudu Yunusa Ari, had hurriedly and illegally rushed into the collation venue in company of the commissioner of police and a state director of DSS to announce you, Aishatu Binani, as the winner of an election while results were yet to be completely collated armed with a piece of paper he took out of his pocket!

INEC quickly waded in and declared his announcement null and void and of no effect whatsoever as he was not legally empowered to be the one to announce the result in the state and the process had not been duly completed.

Senator Aishatu you had in another venue read what you termed ‘an acceptance speech’, thanking the people, President Muhammadu Buhari and your party. All that seems irrelevant for now.

Meanwhile, in another venue, a top INEC commissioner and a former vice-chancellor of a university was beaten to a pulp by an angry mob that mistook him for the REC that made the illegal announcement. He was seen in a viral video, stripped to his undies and bleeding. The DSS officer was caught by a mob and was being interrogated and he alleged that there was an inducement for the illegality with about N2bn. We hope investigations would be done to verify the veracity of the allegation.

But as the minutes tick into hours and days, Adamawa state indigenes are inching towards chaos of catastrophic outcomes if you, the governor and governments at all levels do not act fast to defuse tension. The INEC meeting summoned on Monday for a resolution reportedly did not hold. PDP and your APC supporters are on the streets.

Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani you have approached an Abuja high court with prayers I’m not definite about but you have to rein in your supporters in the interim. If you eventually win, you will be governor of the whole state not just of your supporters. Your supporters seem unwilling to accept that your being declared winner was in error and illegal. PDP, as a party, has equally given INEC hours to do the right thing. There is imminent danger of polarisation of your dear state.

Adamawa is on the edge, but I’m surprised that the REC’s claims of being a lawyer do not align with his illegal action. You, Senator Binani, are a serving senator. Two of you principal parties in this cul de sac are supposed to know the LAW.

Even as women long for inclusiveness, I don’t think any woman wants to be the reason blood is shed in the process either in victory or defeat. You should not let an election put more women in danger. As a senator whose main job is lawmaking, you should be like Caesar’s wife, above reproach.

The REC who is introduced as a lawyer ought to know better.

Adamawa, as I write, is almost on the cusp of combustion. Chaos is on the offing. It is necessary for the political parties and you, Senator Binani, especially as a woman, to toe the line of due process and peace, having in mind that any violence produces more female victims. There are already too many internally displaced women in the north-east region including your Adamawa. Be a mother at this time.

Completing the electoral process in this instance might just still be in your favour. Do we need to jump the gun? I don’t think so. Too much blood has already been shed in the country and Adamawa should not add to the chaos.

Please use the nurturing and peace-building qualities women are known for to rein in your supporters. Tell them you as a senator know the law and you are hopeful of victory when the process is completed and even if you lose, tomorrow is another day. This is urgent! Good luck.

My one pence.

Nnedi Ogaziechi is a children & women advocate, writer, political columnist, and editorial board member of The Nation Newspaper.