“If I perish, I perish, they came with their threats, they came with their money, they came with their intimidation.”

BY KEN UGBECHIE

She’s a professor of soil and environmental conservation. The first substantive female Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology (FUTO), Owerri. And now this, the first professor to boldly and openly shame electoral fraudsters. Welcome to the world of Professor Nnenna Oti.

She served as Returning Officer (RO) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the Abia State governorship election. Now, Professor Oti is trending. Not for her exploits in soil science; not for being the first ever female VC of FUTO where she functions as the 8^th VC of that great citadel of learning. Madam Oti is trending because she showed courage in the face of danger; she demonstrated as a professor, the highest title in the academia, that she embodies both character and learning.

As Returning Officer in a governorship election, her declaration was final. Whoever she declares winner becomes the winner. That’s the law. It’s a privileged position. Not even the Chairman of INEC can overrule her. The RO is the final authority in any election. The election grifters know this. They, too, understand the law. So, they went for her. With money and intimidation. They wanted her to declare their candidate the winner. She refused. They negotiated with more money, after all, they thought to themselves, every Nigerian has a price. But they didn’t know that Prof Oti is of a different stuff; wired differently and has no consideration, whatsoever, for fools and their dirty money. Not even when their threat became life-threatening did she budge. She simply refused their bait and rebuffed their brutish dose of endangerment.

Just hear her: “As an electoral officer, I have never in my life participated in any election, but duty came calling, I made my enquiries from Abuja.

 “If I perish, I perish, they came with their threats, they came with their money, they came with their intimidation.”

 “I didn’t start today; I stand here before God, Jesus Christ. I have never defrauded anyone, all I did was to declare the riot act as follows: Under me, votes must count. Under me, the people’s mandate will be upheld because I, Professor Nnnena Oti, can never do evil,” declared the Ebonyi-born Professor.

She said that she stood on her ideals and principles not to short-change anyone. Two key virtues: Ideals and principles. Not many have these. Oti functioned in an exercise where many were bought for cheap; where many collapsed whatever was left of their ideals into the pockets of politicians. For her tenacity, positive stubbornness and virtue, the people’s will prevailed. Abia people’s vote counted.  At the end of the empty shenanigans of the band of election riggers, Oti declared Labour Party (LP) candidate, Alex Otti, winner with a total of 175,467 votes to defeat the closest candidate Okey Ahiwe who polled 88,529 votes. Note that Oti, the Professor and Otti, the politician, are not related. One hails from Ebonyi, the other from Abia.

It didn’t matter to the electoral crooks that the difference between the real winner and the second placed candidate was a whopping 86,938 votes. That was the number of votes they wanted her to waste; to undermine, to cast away. But Oti rejected them and their money and was resolved never to cast away her conscience. She had her way. Otti of Labour Party won. Abia people won. Humanity won. Dignity prevailed over biggity. Uppity could not suborn our Amazon, our Star Girl, a genuine Slay Queen and the true face of Nigeria. She has become the portrait of a new Nigeria we all yearn for; a Nigeria where merit is honoured above mediocrity; where the marauding mob of gangsters and corporate goons will never ever have their way.

By her action, Oti has redeemed the academia. The Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) should take a bow for one of their own. She deserves a fete. She took the opposite path trodden by yet another professor. Recall the sour story of another professor. Peter Ogban was jailed for electoral offences committed when he functioned as Returning Officer in the 2019 election in Akwa Ibom state. A High Court in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, had found Ogban, a professor of soil science at the University of Calabar, guilty of fraudulent manipulation of election results, publishing and announcing of false results during a 2019 senatorial election. He was prosecuted by INEC. His prosecution and sentencing brought shame and odium to the academia. And many had wondered at what happened to the dictum: Learning and Character.

A tale of two professors. A High Court said that Professor Ogban lacked character and unfit to be a role model. The court of public opinion conferred on Professor Oti a toga of integrity, character and honour befitting her station as Professor and VC. One represents light, the other represents lout. Yet, both are professors.

Professor Oti simply shone the light on our messy underhand electoral dealings. She exposed what many observe every election cycle but are too timid to tell. She refused to be sucked into the mob rot. Nigeria is a country afflicted by mob rot syndrome. If you can’t beat them, join them. That’s the dubious phrase that appeases our scoured soul when we want to justify evil.  Not so, this excellent Prof. Oti. She walked alone, walked away from the mob. And now she has peace of mind. In life, there are times you must walk alone, walk away, far detached from the crowd. Madam just did that in Abia. Let others compromise but not her.

And for her show of integrity, she is trending for the right reasons. The Bible says that a servant deserves his wage. Oti came to serve. She served with honour and distinction. Now, she’s earning multiple wages. In goodwill and material. The wages keep pouring in. Next round of national honorees, Nigerians would love to see her name on the list of Hall of famers. One tangible material wage is  a Toyota Prado SUV donated to her by an Abia-based businessman, Steven Ukpabi. The businessman had ordered the SUV for his personal use, reports say. But upon hearing the news of Prof’s show of integrity, a very scarce commodity these days, he denied himself the pleasure of the exotic vehicle to douse the emotional pain visited on Oti by the tribe of bribe givers.

I urge other Nigerians of goodwill to appreciate this outstanding woman of substance and suavity. When Alex Otti takes charge in Abia Government House as Governor of a state in dire need of redemption, he must seek out Madam Oti for special recognition because for the resolve of one Oti, another Otti is made. We must begin to reward integrity and honesty. The culture of rewarding crooks and conmen with confetti of contracts and garlands must stop.

President Muhammadu Buhari should as a matter of public interest and national good host Madam Oti in Aso Rock. Leadership must always recognize leadership. That’s how societies are built: on the solid bricks of genuine heroes and heroines.

Meantime, let’s toast to Professor Nnenna Nnannaya Oti, an awesome amazon and exemplar of the true virtues of the real Nigerian.

First published in Sunday Sun