Edo 2016: Let The People Decide -By Igbotako Nowinta

Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Chief Tony Anenih

‘‘Actually, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole had to lay ‘low’ to conquer the godfathers, the demonic cabal and legions of contract hungry vampires swooping on his young administration. It was the zenith of political frustration for the Comrade Governor. Tactically, he waited to conquer those tyrants, thieves and despots in political garbs, who ravaged the blessed land of Edo state with absolute impunity’’-Quoted in Nowinta’s book; 2012: Conqueror of The Godfathers (page 64).

In many ways the recently concluded Bayelsa Governorship Election was an acid test for Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its number one citizen, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.

This is so because the peculiarity of the election raised tempers and eye brows to the zenith in both camps of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressivess Congress (APC).

In the midst of some dare devil election spoilers spread within the wings of APC and PDP who wanted at all cost to tarnish and rubbish all concerted efforts put together by INEC and other stakeholders, thank goodness that a winner has finally emerged.

Those who were equally throwing stones at the presidency concerning the just concluded Governorship election in Bayelsa state, implying that President Buhari and the APC were hell bent on grabbing the state can now swallow their words like bitter pills. One thing INEC and the presidency must urgently look and work out is the terrible issue of electoral violence in Nigeria. Because if there is an Electoral Offences Tribunal the indiscriminate and reckless resort to savagery and barbarity by a fraction of supporters of both leading candidates would have been drastically reduced.

What I am saying in essence is that like never before we need to practicalise the setting up of Electoral Offences Tribunal. It was most unfortunate and degrading to see some political thugs bathing in the pool of blood of innocent electorate. As I congratulate sitting Governor Seriake Dickson of the PDP for a well deserved victory over Timpre Sylva of APC, Edo State 2016 Governorship Election is on my mind.

Edo state in 2008 was like a big ocean of rot and decay created by the PDP after a most ruinous eight years in power. Every where one turned to the appalling state of things stared at us unblinkingly, even as the masses were worst of.

Much more disturbing was the palpable loss of confidence in the political leadership of Edo State before the April 14,2007 general elections, as poverty stricken citizens were manipulated by economic/political elite to achieve their selfish egocentric and destructive ambitions. Then came the man with the big heart-Comrade Adams Oshiomhole!

As some one tenaciously committed to duty, Oshiomhole began in 2008,to introduce a brand new analysis to the issues of governance by preferring reasonable and better arguments to counter the reasons earlier adduced by the political godfathers when they vehemently subjected the ‘people’ to unimaginable animalism and brutality. Now more than seven years in the saddle the people of Edo State are at liberty to judge the performance of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Absolutely, it is only the people, certainly not the politicians that often behave like prostitutes that will honestly scale and score Comrade Oshiomhole transparently without any shadow of bias.

If the people are the umpires that must blow the whistle for or against Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, as the count down to Edo state political governorship primaries approaches they should be made to be truly in charge of things within the political parties fielding candidates?

We must not forget that had the All Progressives Congress (APC) fielded a more popular, pragmatic, unstained and excellently performing personality in place of Timipre Sylva, Seriake Dickson would never have triumphed in Bayelsa State?

Certainly Timipre Sylva was not the best material for APC in the just concluded governorship election in Bayelsa State. We have not forgotten those things that hung on his shoulder like an albatross before ex-President Goodluck Jonathan bullied him out of power at all cost. Truth is bitter!

In Edo State 2016 political Governorship primaries intra-party true democratic process must be allowed to prevail so that the best material will have the opportunities of facing the people during the governorship election proper.

It is only in that way that the people of Edo state can settle for the right man that will continue from where Comrade Oshiomhole will stop on November 12th 2016. If you ask me, amongst the aspirants that have indicated their interest so far in the race for Sir Dennis Osadebey Avenue, Engineer Chris Ogiemonyi stands taller in terms of pedigree and integrity?

— Nowinta contributed this piece from Benin, Edo State