BY REV. FR. GERALD NWAFOR
I sat and watched as the judge read the judgment of the election petition. Sometimes he would mumble, sometimes he would be very audible and some other times he would gaff. Many people were depressed especially the youths whose future hangs on a balance and the elderly who think that they would at least see a better Nigeria in their lifetime. I do not know what to expect but I have taken my time to listen to one of the elders of the church who reminded Nigerians that those Judges sitting on the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) were Nigerians before they became judged.
He further opined that if the government of the day is so corrupt and the judiciary is part of the government, we should not expect anything different. Those warnings were well noted and ignored in some quarters.
How can a poisonous tree bear good fruit? Is it not the same Nigeria where people who contested the presidential election and lost went back and became the senate president? Is it not the same Nigeria where government officials stole billions and were rewarded with governorships and ministerial posts? So how can the same people in a twinkle of an eye become saints and deliver justice in the court? I do not expect a poisonous tree to bear good fruit.
A snake will always give birth to something long (Agwo agharo imu ife ogonogo). The President is still battling the certificate forgery and the $460,000 forfeiture of drug money and you think some good will happen on the human judgment day in Nigeria the poisonous tree? I seriously doubt it.Although, we still have the Supreme Court to waddle with. I will continue to pray that they will do what is right, but I still hold my heart in my hand. Not because I doubt the power of God to change the plans of men, especially when it is geared toward truncating the good plan of God for his people. Sometime early this year an intelligent young girl forged her JAMB (Join Admission and Matriculation Board) result.
I did not condemn or praise her because our people said that when the mother sheep is chewing the AGBALA the baby sheep would be watching the mouth of the mother (Nne atulu na-ata AGBALA nwa ya ana-ene ya anya na onu). The poor girl has observed how our parents without credible certificates were rewarded by occupying the highest office in the land. Buhari has no WAEC (West African Examination Council) certificate, yet he was made the president of Nigeria. Buhari handed it over to Tinubu who has no WAEC certificate and whose Chicago State University certificate was marred with irregularities.
So why should the poor girl care about the decency of keeping the original certificate of her exams? The tree called Nigeria which is poisonous has poisoned the fruit it bears even when there is no reason to be bad. Every-day-people who have no business being part of the corrupt system now find themselves in the dirty waters of corruption. Just look at Godwin Emefiele, the past CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria) governor.
I do not know where to place him because he used to be a thief before Buhari turned him into a confused criminal.There is nobody within the ruling party who has not gone to the EFCC (Economic, Financial, and Crime Commission) and sworn to God/Allah/Amadioha.
There is nobody in the circle of government today who has not stolen our money to an astronomical proportion or has not taken a bribe that closed his mouth permanently. The tree is completely poisoned and so is the fruit that will come from it. I will encourage Peter Obi to continue with the trajectory he is going on because he who is down needs fear and no fall, and he who is humble will forever have God to be his guide. I do not support Atiku nor do I subscribe to Okowa, because they were part of the poisonous tree that has been feeding these bad fruits.
So, instead of Atiku, I would say that a known devil is better than an unknown one. It is Peter Obi or nothing. We have come a long way. Therefore, I would pray that we should expect God to do the magic for us in the Supreme Court. Our trust would not be in the judges of the Supreme Court because from what I am seeing about the government of Nigeria and the judiciary arm of the government, the judgment of the Supreme Court would be worse compared to what the appeal court gave.
Also, remember that after 48 hours the presidential candidate of the labor party and their lawyers have not received the copy of the judgment called certified copy (CC). And you ask what is holding it? Does it mean they were not ready before reading it or is it that they do not have a typist to duplicate it?
Whatever the case is, we should not relent but we should not hope so much on the people in government to do anything because they lack the capacity and capability to do anything that would benefit the public. The country has become a poisoned tree and the fruits are not different from the tree. The election was rigged, the process was manipulated, the result was adulterated, and the judgment was perverse. What else?
