CONSCIENCE AND EKITI’S RE-RUN ELECTION

“Easton’s Bible Dictionary describes conscience as “That faculty of the mind, or inborn sense of right and wrong, by which we judge of the moral character of human conduct. It is common to all men.” In this age of relativism, where everything is “right” or “wrong”, relative to other things and therefore, where nothing is accepted as inherently right or wrong in itself, you can understand the import of the phrase “as a Christian”. It is simply saying, my heart, led by the principles of my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, adjudges this action or omission as “right” or “wrong”. There is therefore such a thing as ‘Christian conscience.’”

Chief Mrs Olusola Ayoka Adebayo did the unprecedented last Tuesday. She resigned her position as Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti State, three days after supervising the Court of Appeal-ordered rerun of the election for the office of state governor. She had announced results from five of the ten local governments. With elections in one of the local governments, Oye, postponed, results from four of the remaining five were supposedly being collated when news filtered out that she had taken ill and was unable to continue with the process.

According to the purveyors of this information, the stress of the job had been too much for the 74-year-old woman. But Mrs Adebayo reportedly disowned this explanation in a phone conversation with the state chairman of one of the parties. A newspaper report quoted her as saying late on Saturday night: "I thank God; I’ve left the place. I can’t do anything against my conscience. I’m a Christian. They want me to announce fake results. I can’t – at my age; for how much I’m hale and hearty; I’m not ill. I’m fine... I’m the only one permitted to declare results, but I’ve told everybody that I won’t work against my conscience…I promised fairness and I won’t change my stand. Thank you."

This theme was to feature in her now controversial “resignation letter” three days later. In the letter, written on her personal letter head, Mrs Adebayo said as follows:

"It is with heavy heart that I am writing to inform you of my resignation as the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State. In accordance with the rule of law, the on-going election in Ekiti State was supposed to be the election that will enhance the image of INEC electoral process in our dear country, Nigeria and the whole black race. Unfortunately, the circumstances changed in the middle of the process; therefore, my conscience as a Christian cannot allow me to further participate in this process. I thank you and my great country, Nigeria, for giving me the opportunity to serve".

As you might have guessed, it is her reference to “my conscience as a Christian” that is of significance to this column. What is conscience? Is there such a thing as “conscience as a Christian” and how much of that has been in evidence in this particular episode of the Nigeria’s tragic-comic political drama?

A simple dictionary meaning of the word, conscience is “a moral sense of right and wrong, especially in relation to conduct.” Easton’s Bible Dictionary describes conscience as “That faculty of the mind, or inborn sense of right and wrong, by which we judge of the moral character of human conduct. It is common to all men.” In this age of relativism, where everything is “right” or “wrong”, relative to other things and therefore, where nothing is accepted as inherently right or wrong in itself, you can understand the import of the phrase “as a Christian”. It is simply saying, my heart, led by the principles of my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, adjudges this action or omission as “right” or “wrong”. There is therefore such a thing as “Christian conscience.”

The most famous reference to conscience in the Bible is in chapter three of the book of First John. In verses 20 and 21, the Apostle wrote: “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.”

Matthews Henry, the famous Bible commentator had this to say in his discussion of these verses of scripture: “Our heart here is our self-reflecting judicial power, that noble excellent ability whereby we can take cognizance of ourselves, of our spirits, our dispositions, and actions, and accordingly pass a judgment upon our state towards God; and so it is the same with conscience, or the power of moral self-consciousness. This power can act as witness, judge, and executioner of judgment; it either accuses or excuses, condemns or justifies; it is set and placed in this office by God himself.”

Henry cross-referred to Proverbs 20: 27 which reads: “The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly”. He declared: “The spirit of man, thus capacitated and empowered…is a luminary lighted and set up by the Lord… taking into scrutiny and viewing the private recesses and secret transactions of the inner man…Conscience is God's vicegerent, calls the court in his name, and acts for him… God is chief Judge of the court: If our heart condemn us God is superior to our heart and conscience in power and judgment; hence the act and judgment of the court are the act and judgment of God; as…if conscience condemn us, God does so too…”

Pardon me, dear reader, if this is sounding like an Ethics class, but it is just as well, since things like these hardly get a peep-in most churches and schools these days. The point being made here is that Mrs Adebayo has raised a weighty matter and I hope, she did so, not lightly, for to trifle with her conscience and with the democratic will of a people is to pour upon herself, hot coal – and it burns! The same applies to all who are actors in this nauseating drama. The highly regarded Prof Mrs Dora Akunyili, in her office as spokesperson for the Federal Government of Nigeria addressed a press conference. She was reported as saying “there is no evidence that Adebayo was impeded from carrying out her statutory assignment as the Resident Electoral Commissioner and Returning Officer in Ekiti State.”

Her statement to the media read in part: “The supplementary governorship election in Ekiti State held on Saturday has thrown up a situation, which is viewed with utmost seriousness by government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. From the reports available to the government, the election was successfully held in nine out of the 10 local councils where the election was held. As at the evening of Sunday, April 26, 2009, the results from the election had been collated and the outcome in five local governments announced. However due to tension and fear of violence, the election did not hold in Oye Local Council. INEC then scheduled to conduct election in Oye on Monday, April 27, 2009. Before the appointed day, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti, Mrs. Olusola Adebayo, who is the returning officer for the state, reportedly took ill, a situation which led to further postponement of the election.

"To the amazement of government, a letter purported to be from the same Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti, Mrs. Adebayo and addressed to the President emerged today (yesterday) claiming that she is resigning her appointment in protest. All the reasons stated in the resignation letter which was purportedly written by Mrs. Adebayo and which expressed her reservations about the process are within her powers as resident electoral commissioner to address. The purported letter from all indications is intended to undermine and discredit the government, the government rejects the letter of resignation…”

I sincerely hope that this woman of integrity believes everything that she read in that statement. In other words, I hope this is a conscientious statement, not just one in the line of duty.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mike Okiro, who spoke at the same press parley, threatened to declare Adebayo wanted if she does not report to INEC office or the nearest police station. Declaring her letter as “suspect”, Okiro was quoted as saying that the woman was wanted because “there is need to properly investigate the weighty allegations contained in the letter…”

Is Okiro acting in Christian conscience, if as his name suggests, he is one? Of course his statement might have prompted a reaction from Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) General Secretary, Samuel Salifu, in which he warned “that anyone who touches her should expect the reaction of all Christians, because the Church is ready to defend this woman. We must be clear that we will not tolerate any intimidation."

Mr. Steve Osemeke is another person who got in the fray, hopefully with his conscience at peace. Described as newly-appointed Deputy Secretary, Publicity for INEC, he issued a statement on Wednesday which stated in part: “Contrary to the stories being peddled that no result had been announced in Ekiti State supplementary governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission hereby affirms that results were announced at the nine Local Government area collation centres in the presence of party agents, politicians and members of the public. For the avoidance of doubt, the only outstanding result is in some wards in Oye Local Government Area.”

If Adebayo announced only five results before she disappeared to reappear, who announced the other four? For, if our heart condemn us…