Goodbye, Mike Igini: Goodbye!

Mr. Mike Igini will retire on August 15, 2022, after his second term as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the National Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom State. Whether by providence or happenstance, he will be departing on the Ides of August.

In the ancient Roman calendar; “Kalends”, “Nones” and “Ides”, were ancient markers used to reference dates about lunar phases. Ides simply referred to the first new moon of a given month, which usually fell between the 13th and 15th. Having committed insidious havoc over the years in Edo, Cross River, Rivers and Akwa Ibom States, it is appropriate to bid Mr Mike Igini, Goodbye, as he attempts to start another phase of his malicious life, without governmental patronage.

Still seething from the shock of the foisting of Mike Igini on our general sensibilities in Nigeria, the definite signpost of our fears was installed on Thursday, October 14, 2018, during the 14th All Nigeria Editors’ Conference in Asaba, Delta State. Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who was billed to deliver the keynote address, was represented by Mike Igini, the Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini.

Mike Igini, as a megalomaniac, had usurped the opportunity to extract a standing ovation and diverse encomiums, orchestrated by some CLO, NGOs and some ignorant participants even hailed him as, “INEC’s encyclopedia of electoral information.” Other discerning minds knew, at that time, that Igini’s reappointment into INEC, like the Second Coming of Mungo Park to navigate River Niger (whether it was for commercial or scientific reasons, by the beginning of the 19th century) portended a bad omen. Mungo Park had died in Bussa.

When Mike Igini failed in his bids to become Chairman, of INEC or clinch the appointment of a National Commissioner, INEC, he became a wounded animal and had sworn vengeance on the entire system. By the time that he was posted to Akwa Ibom State as the REC, he had transformed into a mercenary. He was bent on working for the highest bidder and maximizing monetary profits in the process. His bestiality is still reverberating across the length and breadth of Akwa Ibom state.

Mike Igini now behaves in a nonchalant manner. He parades himself as INEC spokesman and presents himself as a Legislator (knowing the intendment of the Electoral Act 2022 and its interpretations), a complainant, an investigator, a prosecutor, Jury, and a Judge, all collapsed into one loquacious being. He had exacted his pound of flesh in the 2019 Elections and like Nahus 1:9 says: “Whatever you plot against the LORD, He will bring to an end. Affliction will not rise up a second time.” We shall outlive his nihilist tendencies.

His imminent departure from INEC, has affected his mental health. He is presently suffering from a condition known as “Delirium Tremens”. It is a psychotic condition typical of withdrawal in chronic alcoholics, involving tremors, hallucinations, anxiety, and disorientation. It is generally known as,” withdrawal Syndrome.” Delirium tremens is mainly caused by a long period of any form of extreme indulgence being stopped abruptly. Withdrawal triggers a biochemical regulatory cascade. Mike Igini realizes that he would not act again as an umpire in the 2023 Elections, so he has become totally paranoid and has developed an early form of schizophrenia. In this condition, a tendency towards intrinsic physical violence becomes immanent.

He has been frequenting media houses, commenting on, discussing, and making some prejudicial pronouncements regarding cases currently before the nation’s courts. He arrogates so much authority to himself and makes statements with a note of finality as if he is God. He regularly mixes up issues, quotes the wrong Laws, and misconstrues sections of the laws. For instance, he confuses aspirants with candidates and never reads any section of the Law fully, let alone the dates and venues of meetings and nominations. Instead of applauding this king who is dancing naked in our midst, we should empathise with him. Igini is totally unhinged and deserves our prayers, not applause or ululation, to say the least.

Mr Mike Igini has abandoned his official duties. He is currently making the rounds to solicit support from some Civil Society Organisations and strive to secure Election Consultancy Contracts with various states. Have we ever wondered about or questioned the sources of Igini’s media parades and outings, considering the millions of naira payable per outing? If he does not take on Akpabio, it is Governor Ben Ayade, Governor Tambuwal, and Umahi or Senate President Lawan, etc. The summation of Igini’s bravura is that of a pathetic somnambulist in the twilight of his “Nunc Dimittis”. This is considered a sublime way of: a. departure or farewell, esp. from life b—permission to depart; dismissal (Collins). We should heartily grant Igini the leeway to pursue his bestial and malicious escapades in another clime.

I fear for INEC in the period leading up to the demise of Igini’s influence. Remember that his ambition may lead him to more desperate actions, such as seeking to be appointed a National Commissioner or INEC Chairman. Mrs Mbu and The Chairman should be remembered in all our prayers. And we pray that INEC would reabsorb the few staff who were able to challenge Igini’s inhuman reign in court successfully. These were some of the “strong Breed”.

God and the courts will continue to prove Mr. Mike Igini wrong. As we glean over and wince at the satanic wounds and wrongs that Mr Mike Igini has inflicted on all of us, individually and collectively, let us still muster and galvanise the voice and courage and summon the strength, by the Ides of August (15th August 2022) to say farewell to this fallen angel with one voice.

Goodbye Mike Igini: Goodbye!!

*Undiandeye wrote from Abuja, Nigeria.