Between Fascism And Constitutionalism

 By Pieray Awele Odor

The 13 Colonies of present USA issued a Declaration of Independence to the British government on 4 July 1776. They presented why they wanted independence in accordance with “the laws of Nature and Nature’s God”.

*Peter Obi mobbed by excited OBIdients

OBIdients have presented to ALL Nigerians and to the federal and state governments why we want to dissolve the political and economic bond which we have had with corrupt, incorrigible and criminal politicians in accordance with our constitutional right, the right contained in the Universal Declarations on Human rights and freedom, the laws of God, morality and reason.

We made it clear to ALL Nigerians that the primary reason we want to sever ourselves from the system for which the primary actors have become so intolerably corrupt, criminal, callous and insensitive or, better, sadistic, is:  All men are created equal and endowed with equal rights. We categorically abhor and reject “Emi lo kan” and “I have no child old enough to contest with me”. We also abhor and reject categorically bribing with money, foods, reduction of the costs of public transportation before an election, etc. We abhor and condemn categorically bribing with BUllion van or very large Ghana must go bags, renting of hotel rooms for delegates at party primary elections, cashless financing, etc.

We abhor intimidation, threats, burning of markets which belong to OBIdients and autocracy for being barbaric, and the violation of the rights and freedom noted earlier concerning making value-judgments and voting according to the judgments. We abhor and condemn categorically ALL known and unknown sources of corrupt monies — Drugs, privatisation of public infrastructures, extortion from the Internally Generated Fund of the state governed in billions of naira monthly, incomes from businesses established with laundered money, extortion by Area Boys, etc.

We asserted categorically that any person who is guilty of any of these is NOT worthy or qualified to be a president, governor or legislator. We presented to all Nigerians the necessities which anyone who is contesting for any position in the federal and state governments must have satisfied for years before any election year, and has become a measure of his character.

These are NO SHISHI and TRACK RECORD.

No shishi demands: No bribery, no matter how much is given, as this compels the recipients to vote for the giver of the money.

Track Record: This includes what a person did earlier as vice president, governor, or legislator in the course of carrying out his or her duties. We note that being in that position is both a privilege and contractual and, therefore, obligates the person strictly and absolutely to act well his or her part for the good of the people. Track Record includes also evidence of accountability, trust earned because of this, compassion shown to the poor and the needy, with moral finance, and the fame, popularity, respect, and acceptability earned because of this.

We found one man who satisfied these, Mr. Peter Obi; and he found a bird of his feather, Mr. Datti Baba-Ahmed. We made them our Principals owing to their Moral and Nationalistic Virtues, which constitute their Characters and are consistent with the values which are absolutely necessary for achieving the national quest for good governance, a function of good leadership. They gave us hope that they will establish the new and BETTER Nigeria that we have had quest for since 1999. Both of them were nobody before the elections. They were disqualified based on “they have no structures”.

They insisted that the people were their structures but were not taken seriously. Structures built with money got from corrupt or criminal means do NOT endure. This was attested to by the result of the last presidential election, supported by the events of the governorship elections, especially in Lagos and Asaba (Ahaba). The structures have collapsed after 24 years!

The men of structure resorted to strategic violence against human structures, OBIdients, and anyone who looked like an Igbo, unsuccessfully, because they constitute a ROCK.

Last week the King danced naked in order to boost the ego, patch or redeem the completely tattered, unpatchable and irredeemable image of his Principal or benefactor as loyalty to him.

But he exhibited nonsensical and primitive ethnicity and conscious, deliberate and strategic mischief against one of our Principals, Mr. Datti Baba-Ahmed. He revealed so very clearly that he lacks iwa omo'luwabi. There is NO evidence that he has ever had this virtue, the foundation or bulwark of existentialism in Yoruba tradition and custom.

*Wole Soyinka 

Amicus Plato, sed magis amica veritas.

Wole Soyinka OBIdients love, BUT truth OBIdients love miles more. Wole Soyinka OBIdiebts respect, BUT moral and right processes of voting, collating, transmitting and announcing of results OBIdients have utmost respect for. Wole Shoyinka’s views OBIdients give to him as his right, but the constitution we are obligated to. So is Wole Shoyinka!

Soyinka exhibited not only mischief and malice for tying “fascism” to the right observations and judgment made by Datti. The observation and judgment are right because they follow logically from constitutionalism, being several violations of the constitution on voting, collation and transmission of result, announcing of a winner, and giving the person so announced as winner a certificate. Soyinka also exhibited malapropism, devil’s advocacy, and projection. The projection is in the fact that Soyinka’s “fascism” has the nature of ethnic jingoism and ethnic jingoism, take note, is a form of fascism. Also the conduct of Tinubu for insisting on Muslim-Muslim presidency is fascistic. For not criticising it and criticising Datti’s constitution-based assertions, Soyinka is guilty of fascism.

Because “Honour and shame. From no condition arise. Act well your part. There the honour lies”, Alexander Pope, and Shoyinka consciously and deliberately decided to act his part badly, he brought shame upon himself! This is why many people have criticised his label of Datti’s constitutionalism as fascism.

Pitch me with Wole Soyinka in a debate on Election, Presidency and the Legitimacy of President Elect.

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*Prince Pieray Awele Odor (OBIdient) is an Independent Researcher and Public Good Promoter. princePeterAweleOdor@gmail.com