Edo people have spoken clearly with their votes ― Olabode George

Former National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has congratulated Edo State governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, on his victory in the just concluded governorship poll in the state, saying the good people of Edo State had spoken clearly with their votes and rejected what he termed: “the bullion van democracy.”

George, who is also the Atona Odua of Yorubaland, said this, on Sunday, in a statement entitled: “Edo rejects Bullion Van Democracy,” even as he also congratulated the PDP national leadership, who he said made the victory possible by ensuring that the right things were done at the right time while declaring the election as peaceful, fair and just.

“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.

“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. The election was peaceful, fair and just,” Chief George said.

According to him, the people of Edo were firm and committed to the purity of the democratic process, saying that their will had prevailed in the end.

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The party said the Edo electorate had made their choice in the person of Governor Obaseki who himself had braved all odds and the dark schemings and intrigues of the undemocratic forces and, therefore, triumphed over what seemed a great hurdle.

George lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for the successful poll exercise, saying he had equally lived up to his words “when he observed before the election that he will basically ensure that there will be no interference with the democratic process.”

The party chieftain also gave kudos to the security operatives deployed to monitor the exercise, saying they were much alert to their responsibilities, just as he appreciated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting itself in a worthy manner.

According to him, the electoral umpire was apparently neutral and committed itself to the fairness doctrine which is the hallmark of democracy itself.

Speaking further, Chief George noted that the occurrence in Edo may yet be a renewal for the Nigerian democracy with the state being a “trailblazing decision,” warning that it could be a signal to those he alleged had arrogated political powers to themselves in Lagos State that their time was obviously over.

“Even here in Lagos, there is a dawning realization 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,” George declared.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE