Former governor of Ekiti State and candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in last Saturday’s governorship election, Chief Segun Oni has lamented that the rising poverty level among people might erode the gains of democracy in the country.
Oni who reacted through a statement by the Director-General of his campaign council, Dare Bejide, said the last Saturday’s election fell short of expectations in any democracy, saying the ruling party commercialized the entire process.
Oni while rejecting the outcome of the governorship election, called on people in the nation to rise up and work towards ending the menace of financial inducement in the nation’s electoral processes.
According to him, “During that election, the government could not trust its own record of governance, but it was banking on its programme of increasing poverty that has turned our people into chattels. It was therefore easy for the APC and its agents to pay a minimum of N10,000.00 for each voter. This is a blatant assault on the citadel of democracy and the Rule of Law. This is a direct violation of the Electoral Act.
“This is serious sabotage of the democratic process which expects a free contract between the electorate and the elected public officials. Now that the APC has devised its devilish way to undermine the electoral process, it has violated the most sacred essence of democracy.
“The cost of poverty on our electoral process is huge and it could destroy our democracy in the name of vote-buying, except good and godly people of Nigeria act urgently to address it. Sadly, vote-buying has become a terrible instrument for the political enslavement of the people and it is being exploited to undermine good governance and the future of our society.
“We appeal to all good people in Nigeria and all over the world to stand with Ekiti people to resist this blatant hostage-taking. Our democracy is in peril if the people’s right to vote is subverted by those who are ready to pay any price to hold the reign of power. Nigeria must not be held hostage to the whims of a rapacious elite. It is Ekiti today; it can be any other state tomorrow. Let us say no to vote-buying! Let us stand up and defend democracy and the right of the people to elect their rulers periodically through a free and fair election.
“The Ekiti State governorship election of June 18, 2022, was neither free nor fair. We reject the declared result.”
The former governor commended the people of Ekiti, despite alleged intimidation and harassment for voting for the SDP, saying, “Mr Oyebanji’s victory has been obtained by bare-faced brigandage and shameless electoral heist.”
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Poverty may erode… Poverty may erode… Poverty may erode…