I want to begin by thanking the Nigerian people for sending a clear signal to the world that they are tired of this journey into serfdom and desire a new order.

How else would you describe this phenomenon?
It’s still three months short of one year (Nine months) since I welcomed Mr. Peter Obi into a movement of the Third Force built with grinding effort with the Nigerian Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress, the New Fabian Society of the Concerned Professionals and a potpourri of Civil Society Organizations. It was built on hope, deep concerns for the dignity of all Nigerians, a special care for women, young people and a desire for inclusion, especially of the not so enabled.
I recall that as at the end of the first week on May 2022, Peter Obi was probably still a bit of a Third Force skeptic and hoping for justice in the PDP. On a live interview on May 5th of 2022 from the Urban Radio in Enugu when the issue for the regular politicians was still about zoning the presidency to the South East I insisted that character, competence, compassion and disposition of service that could unite, secure and usher in a season of social justice and Mass prosperity for most of the people of Nigeria. I said on that phone in a show that the only two South East aspirants from the South East that held possibilities for that in the two dominant parties were Peter Obi of the PDP and Ogbonnaya Onu of the ADC.
When neither of them emerged from those parties I readied myself for what I imagined was the last of my redemption battles in the hope for a united and thriving Nigerian, nearly 50years after I called out my peers at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, against the currents of thinking on campus and we found leadership in Bassey Ekpo Bassey. Peter Obi would quickly realize my point about the efficacy of the Third Force as the only way to liberate Nigeria from champions of State capture whose narcissism had managed to cripple a country of great promise.
Within two weeks I had unpacked my own plans to lead that change as candidate, raised the hands of Peter Gregory Obi at the Labour Party Convention in Asaba and a political Tsunami unprecedented in Nigeria history was underway. Within six months the movement unleashed by the Obi candidacy which was first laughed at as four men tweeting in a room was generating panic in the traditional class, much thanks to young people tired of being misgoverned, malgoverned and subject to abuses of all kinds from public authority. They wanted their PVCs to make the point that needed to be made and our country experienced a surge in new voter registration. The pensioners and middle class followed the path throde by the youth in this country in which the median age is 18.2years and the vast majority of the population is youthful. I have examples of being approached by pensioners who asked why the movement was being dubbed a youth one when they were more fanatically Obidient.
However you dice it the Nigerian people deserve a huge show of gratitude from us in the Big Tent for believing in our vision of a Nigerian redemption.
But what happened to the result of their effort happened. I will address that shortly but it is important to note that whatever may be the case the people have made their point. Nigeria will not be the same again because of the faith shown by Obidients who came of different ethnic, religious and economic class configurations. They simply believed a new Nigeria was possible. This is victory and for me a personal triumph. My life’s work evidently is approaching its epogy and I am thankful to God for that.
The only way to concretize these gains is not to get tired or distracted as those who have reduced Nigeria to a criminal enterprise would want. These include a massive turnout at the election of March 11 as voting “Mama, Papa, Pikin” to paint Nigeria Labour
I desire here also to raise other issue around Governors who brazenly interfered with voting President Buhari’s candidate on election day of February 25, 2023 and the duc of security forces at all elections and the request of INEC to provide us guaranties of BVAS, what system they will use on March 11 and the general integrity of elections in Nigeria. But before that we want to urge INEC to show good faith and not wipe their server of the activities of February 25 in the excuse of having it ready for March 11. We also want to request that they administratively begin a review of the vote in ten states with a procedure we shall proceed that can bring sunlight into February 25. All we seek in sunlight. We accuse none and come with malic towards none but are assured that our children will have better tomorrow if we ensure that sunlight and transparency define our electoral ways

ACCOUNTABILITY TRANSPARENCY AND THE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY
Accountability is the essence of the Democratic process. The first thing in that spirit is respect for the will of the people. One sure way of enthroning that is ensuring governance norms and very transparent processes and systems. The key to such accountability is sunshine.
It is typical bureaucratic tradition to make things secret but INEC cannot regain the confidence of the world if it continues down that path. There are far too many accusations on the streets on such matters as the conflicted nature of the supplier of the BVAS machines in whose offices we were once alerted were raided by the police and how one of the candidates has a commercial stake in the firm. There is also talk about the role of a company which has engage in collecting biometric details in several states of the federation and whose officials from outside of the country arrived just before the elections and were seen hurriedly departing shortly after
An electoral commission must like Ceaser’s wife be ever beyond reproach.
Once sunlight gives the shove to darkness we are bound to accept the outcome. This is not the usual foul cry that comes with sore losers in Nigerian elections. All we want is the truth made bold by sunshine once that shows the truth I will be first to celebrate the winner, whoever they may be and call in congratulations. To remove light is to keep Nigerians in traumatized mental health situation where most of them are right now. Just before this conference I ran into a foreigner who said to me you must do something about the mental state of Nigerians, just about everyone I run into seems shell shocked and looking like a zombie. Our country has enough troubles and our citizens enough pain not to place on top of extant challenges another layer of depressive mental health state.
We pray with all compatriots to cheer up and act rather than suppress emotions and be sick from such. Victory comes to those who seek God’s face and I am confident it is coming.
We do not desire to be triumphalist but to triumph of truth. Man has be given this by God in due season and that season is now
CONSEQUENCE MANAGEMENT AND THE FUTURE OF ELECTIONS
It seems to have become the pattern for certain politicians to use tugs to visit terror on the people, prevent them from voting, alter the vote and often maim them. And in the end there are no consequences. This is why the pattern resurfaces every four years. We insist that since our justice system seems to fail us Supranational Institutions need to kick in.
We shall forward the list of Governors, other elected officials and their henchmen involved in electoral practice to the International Criminal Court and demand prosecution with strong sentence or conviction.
We also charge the system to hold accountable security people on whose watch violence and rigging has been allowed. We invite evidence which is plentiful against this men and women for consequences beginning with ostracization to trials, naming and shaming
NEXT WEEK
We have to begin healing by making next week different from last week. If INEC cannot asure that, its leadership must step down and move aside. We seek the same of law enforcement agencies. Self-preservation is the first law of nature.
If the leviathan cannot preserve life and property, in the state of nature beckons, then people will prefer to defend themselves. I believe in the biblical injunction of turning the other cheek if you are slapped but if the one who slapped is a sadist who continues to enjoy striking the other cheek, the nuclear deterrence thesis of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) may become the path to peace
OUR PRAYER
We ask for an INEC review. If this fails to bring justice then a court process to reverse rigging as call the true winner. Where that is difficult for the system we call for outright cancellation of the election of February 25, and ensuring that enthusiasm allowed to flow through to March 11 with assurance of a free, fair and transparent election

Patrick Okedinachi Utomi (Prof)
Convener and Chairman of the Big Tent Coalition of Political Parties as CSO for Obi/Datti 2023