Binani; How not to retain sympathy

Babayola M. Toungo

Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (Binani) and Peter Obi are doing the same thing to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) – chiselling at the integrity of the electoral umpire.

The supporters and backers of the two failed candidates have been pushing a warped narrative where INEC has conspired with the candidates who floored them in the recently conducted elections to ‘steal their mandates’. Though the irony of questioning the credibility and integrity of the INEC is lost on BInani’s supporters as to how this will affect the perception of people on the presidential election outcome won by their party.

Sadly, this collateral effect is lost to those trying to project Binani as a victim. They are simply toeing the line of the Obidients. Since the declaration of the incumbent governor of Adamawa state as the winner of the 2023 gubernatorial election in the state, Binani’s supporters have been pushing a false narrative into the cyberspace in attempt to deflect suspicion away from her for her untoward conduct before, during and after the elections.

The behaviour of Binani and the masquerades behind her, including corrupting a Resident Electoral Commissioner to bend the system to her advantage is reprehensible to say the least. Any person with a modicum of respectability should bury his head in shame when caught out attempting to do what she was caught out doing and not push the same thing in our faces.

The actions taken by the Adamawa state REC, Yunusa Ari Hudu, in his efforts to earn his pay from Binani was tantamount to waving a red flag to an enraged bull. The results of both the main and supplementary elections were in the public domain when the REC decided to do what he did, so the reaction of the crowd was not unexpected.

The clumsy manner whence the REC acted a script that other officials refused to act was enough to enrage even the most reasonable people at the collation centre. The man is in hiding not because anyone will lynch him if he appears but because he knows he has committed treason against a country that thrust a responsibility of trust on his greedy shoulders.

He was erroneously garbed in a garment that couldn’t fit his frail integrity, no matter how hard his “image tailors” try. They are garbed in the same garment with Binani. Her foray into politics and the guts she had that propelled her to clinch the gubernatorial candidature of a major political party earned her tremendous respect from all of us.

It was a feat not attained by any woman in our state before her. And it is no mean achievement. But then, the power drug got into her head and she began seeing herself as the governor of Adamawa state well before the elections were held and results declared.

Her relationship with INEC (as a contractor) and her belief that everybody in the Commission can be bought bolstered her confidence that she will win “ko be wujja wujja”.

She therefore wasn’t prepared to win the elections fair and square. Her actions and utterances in the aftermath of the declaration by the returning officer Professor Mele Mohammed attest to this. While knowing fully well that Hudu does not have the legal right to declare and return, she ran to the Federal High Court, Abuja to seek for an order restraining the INEC from nullifying her “victory”. This earned her opprobrium nationwide and the sympathy and support that her candidacy garnered dissipated overnight. Now her supporters are trying hard to deodorise her. This is tantamount to hawking hard drugs on the streets, in my opinion.

This was exactly how the post-election violence engulfed Kaduna in 2011, when over 3,000 people were killed and properties worth hundreds of millions Naira were torched. Kaduna is yet to heal from the trauma of these do or die politicians.

The action of the two National Commissioners saved the day for Adamawa because of the charged atmosphere created by Hudu (and Binani’s) actions which some people are now trying to justify. Sadly, Binani’s campaign in the run-up to the elections created a chasm in ethnic relationships in the state, which I hope will be healed in no time. This is one of the most dangerous fallout of her actions and no matter how hard one tries, it couldn’t be waved away with the back of the hand and no matter the amount of deodorant her supporters apply, the stain and stench will never be far away from her person and political adventure.

The shame here is in squandering the goodwill and sympathy she got from all over the country for her dare. It is sad to see a promising career go up in flames well before it takes off.

Toungo, a media aide to governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri writes from Kaduna.