Last Saturday was too great a day to be forgotten. It was the day that the anxious Kogites trooped out en masse to decide who governs the state, a day that afforded us the golden opportunity to further enhance the fortunes of the state and her people or consolidate our misfortune and that of our dear state.
Before I proceed with the day’s business, I will once again send my heartfelt and sincere condolence to the families and friends of the comrades who paid the ultimate price of the liberation struggle. Without your sacrifices, we would not have been where we are today. Your efforts will not be in vain as we shall continue to champion the cause to restore sanity, equality, justice and good governance back to our dear nation.Also, to my brothers in the central, I really commend your sense of self-preservation as a people.
You have shown that a united minority is much more stronger than a divided majority. This I hope other minority nationalities emulate. Back to the day’s business.
From the colonial days to this present moment, election(s) in Nigeria has been a matter of concern to her citizens as it is usually characterized by irregularities and compromise by electoral umpires and security agencies who are supposed to be at the forefront of the struggle to ensure peaceful, transparent and credible conduct of elections. Shooting, fighting and disorderliness that subsequently escalates to dastard acts, riots and bloodletting is an order of the day.
Above all, election period in Nigeria is a period of internecine warfare. This is a period when politics and the political becomes conquest or rather, a do-or-die affair rather than interest and conviction. And this thread has eaten deep into the roots of elections at all levels of the country – NGOs, SUGs and the rest of them.
This was evidenced in the just concluded Kogi state gubernatorial election where terror and horror was unleashed in some parts of the state and the people’s will was allegedly shortchanged in favor of a particular candidate.
Election in Nigeria is a big blow to democratic practices.I deliberately used the word “allegedly” because of the fact that “though, the manipulation was glaring to some considerable extent, but it has not be proven by a competent court of law.
I want to use this medium to call on the president of the federation, the electoral umpire – INEC, relevant stakeholders and all concerned citizens to a round table talk and work hand-in-hand towards ensuring that elections in the country reflects the will of the people.
Democracy will be insufficient and progress will be at a snail pace without dissenting voices and opposing views and ideologies. To this end, I urge the PDP and its candidate, Engr. Musa Wada, to sheath swords and work with relevant authorities to move the state forward and also employ legal means to challenge the outcome of the election so as not to disrupt peace in the state. While I charge the governor who doubles as the governor-elect, Alh. Yahaya Bello, to retrace his steps and give to the people of the state the good governance and dividends of democracy that was alien to his first tenure.
To you my fellow Kogites and comrades in the struggle whose political ideology differs from mine, we struggled the struggle and arrived at a point of no victor, no vanquished, but a united Kogi state. Let’s jointly work, pray and hope the second coming of Gov. Bello usher in season of abundant blessing in our homes and state at large.
Lastly, our electoral institution requires an urgent reform; hence, it will eat us up.
– Adeyemi Babarinde Sunday
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