Between an Armed robber and a ballot box snatcher

By Olusola Balogun.

For a very long time, Nigerias electoral process have been blighted by the scourge of ballot box snatching and rigging. 

The nation have been butt of ridicule and scorn by local and International journalists and observers. 

Indeed, the sight of ballot box boxes being snatched by thugs is so common place during Nigerias elections that journalists often watch out for such sad occurrence. 

Several elections have been disputed and condemned both by international and local watchers as flawed and lacking acceptable standards .

Even the beneficiary of one of such  flawed electoral victory, the late Umaru Yaradua, acknowledged the process that enthroned him was  flawed before an international audience. w. 

From election to election, Nigeria receives knocks over its famed flawed elections. The political will do correct it was lacking.

Nobody did anything concrete to correct it as we all seems to agree and resign to fate that ‘our votes don’t count in Nigeria’.

Professor Attahiru Jega came and introduced some electronic measures that tries to sanitize and give credibility to the system. Nevertheless, the phenomenon of ballot box snatching still persists.

Noone seems to have an answer or noone seems to be willing to face the scourge

 Then comes President Muhammadu Buhari who won’t condone such and directed the security forces to stop treating the matter with kid gloves. He said they should deal ruthlessly with anyone seen snatching ballot box.

Surprisingly there was an outrage! Outrage from both the Informed and the uninformed! 

They are not comfortable with the directiive to the security forces. They don’t want ballot box snatchers to be dealt with in a decisive manner. They want ballot box snatchers to be allowed a field day!

Funny people!

Can anyone spot any difference between an armed robbers and a ballot box snatcher? The difference is like choosing between six and half a dozen!

They both bear arms in most cases. They both rob people of their properties. They both do their thing against the wish of the people. And they are both violent!

Hence, if the punishment against armed robbery is death, why should his peer snatching ballot box be spared?

It is because the ballot box snatcher does his thing in the open? Robbers too do Rob in Broadway light

Indeed, ballot box snatching is worse armed robbery. An add robber robs just a handful of people at once but ballot box snatcher seeks to rob a multitude of their right to choose!

Could it then be because ballot box snatchers are sent by some political bigwigs somewhere? Some bigwigs  also sponsored armed robbers! 

Why the disparity in treatment then?

I have witnessed a couple of occasions when a ballot box snatcher was almost lynched by the voters. Yes. They have put unused tires on his neck and was about to set him aglow when securing agents stopped them. The people felt so much angry to want to dispatch the ballot thief the same way we lynch robbers!

Why are we then against the order of the President?

Maybe we really don’t know what we want! We want to eat an omelette but we don’t want to break an egg! 

Nigeria is not a place where people accept to do the right thing easily! Some elements of force needs to be introduced for people to fall into line.  That is the essence of law and orders.

It is only a ballot box snatcher or a sponsor of ballot box snatching that would be Unhappy with PMBs order.

It is only the corrupt that would support corrupt act..

**Olusola Balogun is a public affairs analyst