FORMER Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olabode George, has described the September 19, 2020 Edo governorship election, won by Governor Godwin Obaseki of the PDP, as hope for a renewal of Nigeria’s democracy.
George said, with the hard earned victory of Obaseki in the Saturday poll, against all odds, it was clear that the end had come for what he called “Bullion Van” democracy.
George, in a statement he issued and personally signed on Sunday, shortly after the announcement of Obaseki as the winner of the election, congratulated Obaseki on his victory and also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for living up to his words on the conduct of the election.
The PDP chieftain, in the statement, titled, ‘Edo rejects Bullion Van Democracy,’ said, “The good people of Edo State have spoken loud and clear. They have spoken without ambiguity, without equivocal expression. They were bold and brave. They rejected the bullion van democracy. They stood against outside interlopers.
“The Edo people were firm and committed to the purity of the democratic process. In the end, their will has prevailed. They have made their choice in the person of Governor Godwin Obaseki who himself had braved all odds and all the dark schemings and intrigues of the undemocratic forces. He has triumphed over what seemed a great hurdle.
“I congratulate Governor Obaseki for this well deserved victory. I congratulate our party managers who pulled through this victory by ensuring that the right things were done at the right time.”
He said President Buhari had also fulfilled his promise to ensure that there was no interference with the democratic process.
“There may yet be a renewal for the Nigerian democracy with the Edo State trail blazing decision. The election was peaceful, fair and just. The Security operatives were much alert to their responsibilities. INEC too conducted itself in a worthy manner. It was apparently neutral and committed itself to the fairness doctrine, which is the hallmark of democracy itself,” George said.
He added that the election had shown that the time for the godfathers in Nigeria’s politics was up.
He said, “And as for those who have appropriated the treasury of Lagos State as their private coffers, brazenly swaggering in their Bullion Van democracy, it is obvious that their time is up.
“Even here in Lagos, there is a dawning realisation that the slave-drivers will soon be chased out of town through the ballot box. Lagosians are equally sick and tired of 21 years underdevelopment and massive gutting of their treasury. Enough of the primitive monetised ways of godfatherism.”
