ELECTION

Nigerian Union Hungary Election (Part 1): Questions Fred Odorige Must Answer 
By Hakeem Babalola

Now that Mr. Tersoo Allagh, the electoral committee member has apologised for the lapses in the recently held Nigerian Union election, the principal actor, Mr. Fred Odorige should also toe the line of uprightness by tendering his apology to Nigerians in Hungary for the roles he played. 


There are frank questions hanging on Fred Odorige's neck that he must answer truthfully in order to regain his dignity regarding the way he handled, or let me be frank, manipulated the election. If Mr. Odorige decides to neglect these questions, I put it to him that it will haunt him for the rest of his life. In this part, I won't ask questions about his past because I don't want to act holier than thou. We all are not perfect, and of course people do change. But doesn't he know that the allegations against him by Mr. Frank Ekiudoko, the other presidential candidate, is very serious and has since become public property? I think he is cracking jokes with this issue by parading himself as the president-elect. 

I will focus my questions on the same question I had asked him after presenting his manifesto which he parried. I am looking forward to when he will have the gut to answer such serious allegations by Mr. Ekiudoko. I am looking forward to when he will lay his hands on the pulpit for forgiveness, confession and repentance for brainwashing Nigerians in Hungary regarding his passionate but over ambitious dramatics. 

Mr. Odorige may turn up the corners of his mouth with amusement or pleasure, and say who is this small voice? He may draw back his lips in a smile, grimace, or snarl and say medicine after death. He may clap his hands together like children to the music; and say I have outsmarted them. Because that's exactly what he and his electoral committee and Constitutional Review Committee had done. He may beat his chest and mutter to himself, I am covered under section C 9 of the Nigerian Union Hungary constitution which he and his electoral committee quote in their overbearing pride message to Nigerians under the caption, "Nigerians In Hungary Have Spoken". Nigerians may have spoken but Mr. Odorige must answer the manner in which "they" have made us speak. 

Before going in perspective, let me remind Mr. Odorige that it is the string of the smallest stick in the forest that usually blind the play maker.

Mr. Odorige may think he has fooled Nigerians in Hungary but it will soon dawn on him that he may have fooled himself as well. Only those who are naive do not know it was Odorige's election. While I take this method to expose his antics, others have taken different methods that even if he had been "elected" unopposed he would be morally and "legally" disqualified. It would have been better for him to just announce and parade his team as the Union instead of fooling around with the so-called election. If he had done that although it is still not right, I would have laughed it off saying, this guy don too much o. Because then there would have been no need of talking about election manipulation. No election should be conducted the way the Nigerian Union Hungary election was conducted by Mr. Odorige and his Committees of Electoral and Constitution Review. Period

Yes, Mr. Odorige may be technically protected by section C 9 of the Nigerian Union Hungary constitution. And I am sure he relies so much on this section. It explains why he fled in spite of controversy that almost resulted to physical abuse immediately the result was announced in his favour. 
"Queries about electoral irregularities shall be publicly tendered to, and addressed by the electoral committee on the same day of the election before the final declaration of the results" 

On this I think there are some issues that cannot be resolved on the election day. And that's why I propose to set up a tribunal that will override the electoral committee since we now know that it is possible to have almost a one man riot squad election. Again our embassy or its staff cannot be part of the tribunal rather elders, students and what have you who are genuinely concerned about the image of Nigeria in Hungary. As Mr. Kissinger Nnuji rightly noted that Embassy is like our grandfather who cannot take side. There's nothing the embassy can do regarding Nigerian associations abroad. The Nigerian constitution does not give its missions abroad to muddle in the affairs of its citizens abroad except of course in the manner of advice and assistance.

Meanwhile, Mr. Odorige may have contravened Article 10, Section C 1 Electoral procedures which may disqualify him eventually "All election procedures shall be guided and directed by the ad-hoc electoral committee appointed by the House"

Presenting his manifesto, Mr. Odorige shot himself on the foot (I don't really know which foot: right or left - lol) by implying that he did everything to bring back the Nigerian Union including of course "encouraging" people to participate. He also implied that he alone sat down to brood on the constitution. What a mistake! What an error! What a revelation! Does this brother, Odorige know what the CONSTITUTION mean? I bet he doesn't. Otherwise he would not have pat himself on the back for a single act of overseeing the constitution of a Nigerian Union? Does this brother Odorige know what the Union is all about? Oh no, he doesn't otherwise he would not have attempted to build a team - no matter how passionate and determined he seems to be. 

The problem I have with Mr. Odorige and which I pointed to him when we met for a copy of the constitution is the fact that he, Odorige should not be seen as the one doing everything since he would be contesting for executive position, presidential to be precise. It won't make the election credible, especially if he eventually won, I offered him my sincere advice. I think that's when he began to share some responsibility but not all. 

While I acknowledge and appreciate Mr. Odorige's passion to get the Union back on its feet, it's quite unfortunate that he let ambition override vision by the manner he played party politics thereby disrupting the functions of the Electoral Committee as empowered by the Union constitution. One of the contestants attested to this in her manifesto when she thanked Mr. Odorige for a job well-done. A job well-done for one of the presidential candidates from another contestant for executive union position? The female contestant won unopposed. Likewise he tried to recruit this writer when he offered me the post of Secretary General in the team he was building. He did the same to almost everyone. The subtle question here is this: How does that fair to other Nigerians who may want to contest? What a slap on the Nigerians in Hungary's face! To be fair to him he has done well - very well indeed as a co-coordinator or the committee to revive the Union.

Listen to what Mr. Ojo Oladipupo, his PRO 4 wrote about him in their ill prepared letter, "He does not want to trade words on face book or other social networks concerning a Union he (Fred Odorige) is trying to rebuild." The Union he Odorige is trying to build? Or the one he had hijacked right from the beginning. This guy sounds too much like a politician whereas we need those who have genuine passion for the image of Nigeria in this Danube nation. 

Exactly why I asked Mr. Odorige after presenting his manifesto that how would he convince us that he will not treat the Union as a personal property. Of course he refused to address it. I could have raised the motion to disqualify him on the election day but common, who am I to do that on election day! I decided that it's inappropriate and especially it will not be fair to Nigerians who had trooped to witness the day.  Besides, I relied on the fact that the truth will not come out until after the election. 

Pardon me if I really come this hard and Mr. Odorige should not see it as an unwarranted attack but to establish the truth. We are talking about an association using Nigeria's name and image in a foreign land. And to further demonstrate my intention, I will not be ashamed to apologise to Mr. Odorige if he answers the following questions satisfactorily. If not he too must be ready to do the same but not to me - he must offer his sincere and unreserved apology to Nigerians in Hungary. Period 

Here are the questions:

How did Mr. Odorige lay his hand on the Nigerian Union Hungary document?

Who tamper with the constitution ever before the House ratified it?  

Who and who opened and used the Nigerian Union email account?

Why did the constitutional review committee and electoral committee use the same e-mail account?

Why is the correspondences by the constitutional review committee and electoral committee not signed?   

Why is John Sessi (Dr.) (who was offered a seat at the electoral committee table on election day but declined) not even aware of election day?

Who wrote Nigerians In Hungary have spoken? 

In conclusion for this part, even if Mr. Frank Ekiudoko concedes or do paddy-paddy settlement, the matter will not rest until Mr. Odorige satisfactorily answer the questions above. This matter is not about Ekiudoko neither is it about Odorige, but about establishing the truth/false behind the Nigerian Union election held recently. It's about Nigerians in Hungary as the Union name suggests. And by the Grace of God I am a proud Nigerian irrespective of what the Universe says about my wonderful nation in making. 

On this I stand. We must get it right. To be continue. God bless