ay I start this piece by borrowing from Albert Einstein, who says "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds". With the current political situations in Nigeria, some individuals are still bent in scampering the hands of progressive changes in Nigeria. Such individuals could go with the heavy storm of change knocking at the doors of Nigeria.

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Across the World, especially in Africa, the wind of change is blowing at a greater speed coming through the dangerous Sahara Desert. The dust coming with the storm makes the roads to progress invisible. Someone has to drive carefully through the storm to reach the destination.

Egypt is seriously feeling that level of change with the Egyptians yelling to the Mubarak Government that, 'enough is enough'.

Sudan, after many years of human destruction, finally opted for another avenue or peace, through referendum. The Sudanese realized that nothing positive came out from their ceaseless wasting of human life, sizeable majority have spoken that the South MUST disaffiliate from the North where the oppressors have been located.

Nigeria is going through that burrow especially in this struggle to institute a real democracy in the country. Some groups and individuals are bent in keeping Nigerians in abject poverty.

Professor Iwu, former INEC Chairman, worked with the mischievous sprite and woefully failed Nigerians and the citizens of the world. Jega is on the vanguard of giving Nigeria the golden opportunity to make things yummy for Nigerians. Unfortunately some members of the Judiciary are bent in joining forces with some peeved Nigeria elders to dislocate REAL democracy.

As the stormy weather is blowing down the valley some voracious evil minded Nigerians are manoeuvrings to change the natural direction of the water flow. Nigerians must ask themselves if they would allow to be used AGAIN on the altar of sacrifice for their selfish ends. Their choice of who represents their interest matters at this crucial time.

Nigerians should not allow the Judiciary take over their responsibilities on the faces of human defect through political assassinations, religious intolerance, and discrimination against certain group.

Nigerians could effect changes without getting violence. Women in Jos recently protested the injustices and the violence against their children. Such should be encouraged in the country. We thank God that those women were very decent in their protest, unlike those who went half-naked to protest some injustices, as encouraged by their leaders.

Party primaries were held with a newer direction. PDP showed the way. ANPP followed with some hiccups, as some those purported to have represented Lagos State looked like those who resided within the immediate environment (Abuja) to cast votes. ACN did its own imposition of candidates in grand style. In CPC, candidates withdrew for one another.

Whatever happened outside the primaries might not matter much. However, the primaries which was shown live for CPC, PDP, ANPP, and Action Congress of Nigeria is encouraging, and were good enough for a proper diagnosis of the direction the new democracy in Nigeria. Unfortunately some groups and individuals are working devilishly to continue with their negative political mental, emotional, psychological and physical violence.

These individuals and their groups are not realizing that it would be dangerous for anyone to cover the sun with his hand, he would burn into ashes. Covering the moon by an individual could be very dangerous and more devastating as the individual could freeze to death. Covering the star could be very explosive as the individual could go blind.

Primaries were held at the State levels with some challenges. June 12 could be resurfacing again at the home State of the winner of June 12, election, MKO Abiola. Would the citizens of the State allow that to happen again?

Unfortunately it is between Iyabo Obasanjo and Lola Abiola. Since the Military could not use its fiat decision again, the battle has been shifted to the Court. Either a one-man or one-woman, or a group of Judges of about 12, would now determine the number of votes casted for the candidates. The Court is taking over the Party's legitimate right in submitting the candidates to contest elections on the platform of their respective political parties.

If what we are reading on the pages of Nigerian Newspapers are true regarding the election between Iyabo Obasanjo and Lola Abiola, it is time for Elders-in-Council to shelve their swords and allow peace to reign. The election between Iyabo and Lola for the Ogun Central electoral district was believed to have been won by Lola.

Now the Court has waded into yet another challenge brewing in Ogun State. While it was alleged that a parallel election, held by Kuye's faction could be a challenge to INEC.

Definitely somebody is not wishing the community peace either within the Elders-in-Council, or within the Judiciary about parallel or no parallel primaries. What we have been reading was that the Abiola's stadium was the venue of the election as agreed to by the two factions in Ogun State. On the day of the election, the National PDP and INEC officials went to the agreed venue, Abiola International Stadium, while the other faction went to Chief Obasanjo's Library to conduct its election contrary to the agreed venue, without any official from PDP or INEC.

Sometimes the Judiciary love to bamboozle matters that are so simple and straight forward, by using some puzzling words from Latin that the average electorates could not understand. Nigeria is an illiterate society, despite their successes in life. The fact that one Judge is angry at some individuals should not be carried to the performance of their official duties.

It will be unfortunate for the Judiciary to allow itself to be dragged into some serious political confusion. It could turn Judges against one another if care is not taking.

Under a fresh agreement the factions should be ordered back to the electorates for a fresh election to slug it out with the electorates. The practice for Courts to award the election results to someone who was refused to contest and did not get to the voters to cast their votes should be discouraged. In another situation where a petitioner presented a forged POLICE REPORTS and still awarded the certificate of honor; or in the case of the unending re-runs of a portion of the State. In each of the cases the electorates should be the final adjudicator.

The election cases are different from any other cases coming to the Court.

The government is supposed to be BY the people, FOR the people, and OF the people.

Overall, the law establishing INEC should be clear on the subject matters. The PEOPLE MUST DECIDE who represents them through election.

How would Jega accept two submissions from the same State, while the first to submit, duly signed by National Chairman and the Secretary of the political party, is going to be rejected and substituted with other names contrary to the ones earlier forwarded to INEC? In other words, the first submission would now be substituted by those submitted late and not even authorized to conduct the primaries, because the Court says so.

Most Nigerians would agree with Babangida, that he conducted the most credible election ever, even in Africa. However, Yoruba always say that any job done half way is objectionable until it has been carried to its logical conclusion. Nigerians could care less about the most credible election ever conducted in Africa under the watchful eyes of Babangida.

Did Babangida allow it to work? Is the history repeating itself again in Ogun State?

Nigerians are looking forward for the April 2011 credible election from INEC under the watchful eyes of Professor Jega.

The current voters' registration exercise is the first step in actualizing Nigerians dream of a credible election. Those that are canvassing for votes should come out and tell Nigerians, not through the chicken-feed money, what they intend to do for their communities if they vote for them as their leaders. Nigeria would be a fool at 50 if Nigerians should vote for absurd candidates to represent them at all levels.

Nigerians trooped out in thousands to obtain voters card. It was very encouraging for the elderly Nigerians, young men and women, and the Youth trooped out to register. Heavy sacrifices were made by Nigerians to get registered. Some slept at the registration venues. Some left their daily sources of income to obtain the voters card for the forthcoming April 2011 elections. It shows that Nigerians are now ready for the wind of change. Unfortunately some mediocre are bent in stopping those that can deliver some programs to the poor Nigerians.

It is regrettable that the Action Congress of Nigeria political gains have been in the Court Chambers. Its candidate imposition style has just shown the entire world its style of democracy. Some Nigerians that offered their names to contest for any public office have to go through 'torture' or 'hell' to get through the selection process.

Nigerians are impatiently waiting to see how Jega would transform the deadly INEC using his experiences as the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), to give Nigeria an unsoiled election. Jega was dragged out of his position as the Vice-Chancellor, Bayero University, Kano. The man who led lecturers on a protracted battle against Babangida's administration.

As an activist, and the first person from the northern part of the country to be Nigeria's chief electoral umpire, it is a great challenge to him in all ramifications. He should work assiduously, without minding the positions of those that are twisting the hands of INEC, and give Nigeria a clean slate of election.

Most Nigerians hope that INEC activities will not be subjected into gratuitous Court orders or injunctions where the Judges could have been biased in pronouncing judgements based on personal agenda or vendetta. Building the democracy on that premise will be like wasting Nigerians efforts in selecting the candidates of their choice; and that of INEC as an independent agency.

While Nigerians trooped out in large numbers to register for the April 2011 elections, and reform the society, the old Schools are seriously working in incapacitating the efforts for electoral changes. We hope that Nigeria leaders and elders would not twirl Nigeria into a guinea pig for other countries.

The wind of change is blowing all across the world. It has landed in Africa. Realizing that when the wind comes from the dry milieu it could be very devastating, especially for Nigeria.

It is about time Nigerian are allowed to select their representatives. The impositions MUST come to an end as the wind of change has started blowing down the Sahara Desert.

Egypt is going through some reform that will move at the jet speed to Nigeria. It would come sooner than expected. Egyptians have been tolerant for too long. They were pushed to the wall. Egyptians have reacted and there is no going back.

An average Nigerian today, February 2011 has gotten it to the brim and the explosive keg, if not carefully handled, could explode at any time. Unfortunately most of the people that are working seriously to destabilize the country are ready to slip out of this life. The people to suffer are the poor Nigerians who are in the majority.

We don't expect the system to perfect itself in one day. USA, with over 200 years of Democracy at the age of over 200 years still made a booboo in the 2002 Presidential elections.

Nigerians should start listening to their inner sense, and be less dependent on foreign standards, which are alien to their culture. Nigeria should get out from its cuckoo. Be real to its culture. There is no place to go except Nigeria.

INEC will do Nigeria a great favor to get the country good election so that the prediction of the USA Government for the extinction of Nigeria would not come to pass sooner than predicted. Court injunctions on the peoples' desire on their representatives must be carefully weighed for the succeeding part of the country.

Professor Femi Ajayi is Head, Political Science and Public Administration Department, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State