How government, INEC can avoid chaos, by Balarabe Musa

The former Governor of Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa, has warned that resolving the governorship logjam in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the only way to avoid chaos.

Barabe, who spoke in an interview in Kaduna, urged the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow the right candidate to contest the election.

Musa, who is the Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), said holding free and fair polls would depend on how the judiciary resolves the matter.

He added that the history of electoral violence in 1983 might be repeated in the state if an unpopular candidate was forced on the people.

According to him, the rivalry between Ahmed Makarfi and Ali Modu Sheriff is a “conspiracy to use the southwest again as a staging ground to distabilise the country as in the early 60s and 80s.”

He expressed concern at the silence of the Federal Government on the issue and the insistence by the INEC to hold the election.

Musa said the Makarfi faction held its primaries in Ondo and chose Eyitayo Jegede as its candidate, which was duly monitored by the INEC.

He added that it was a surprise that the commission later turned against itself by recognising Jimoh Ibrahim of the Modu-Sheriff’s faction, which held its primaries in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

He explained that since the INEC did not attend the second primaries, “the implication is that unless otherwise proved, the electoral body might have acted on instruction from above.”
He warned that the level of awareness in the southwest would not tolerate the injustice that the decision would breed.