Except for the December 12, 1959 Nigerian Parliamentary Election, every other national election in the country has been plagued by fraud. The streak of electoral fraud runs from council elections to the presidential. The 1959 election, which ushered in self-rule, was largely satisfactory to the parties, not just because the First Republic politicians felt anything could go so long as the British departed, rather it derived hugely from the fact that it was handled by the departing colonialists, who, though commercialists and imperialists, understood that proper rules of engagement are critical in the affairs of men.
The next parliamentary election, conducted by us, which held on December 30, 1964, left no one in doubt about the kinds of animals in us. Violence, rigging and all manners of manipulations determined who won or lost. In fact, the 1964 Parliamentary Election could not hold in Eastern, Mid-Western regions and Lagos until March 18, 1965 due to protests and…
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