Baltimore, 22 February 2009
Press Statement for Immidiate Release
MIMIKO’s Victory; a tonic for the Opposition in Nigeria
The Bafarawa Initiative for Nigeria (BIN), (a campaign organization for Alh. Attahiru Bafarawa) and Democratic Peoples Party, DPP congratulates entire Nigerian, especially the people of Ondo State for victory of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko of Labor party as the authentic Governor and winner of the April 14, 2007 gubernatorial election in Ondo State. The victory of Labour Pary in Ondo will serve as tonic for the opposition in Nigeria. The judiciary has once again demonstrated its impartiality and rekindles our hope in the Nigeria project. It is a victory for Democracy and every peace loving Nigerians that are genuinely committed to the struggle of enthronement of democracy and rule of law in Nigeria.
However, we call on entire Nigerians to put pressure on National assembly to pass a law that will punish all the election riggers in Nigeria. The election mega fraud of the past as coordinated by President Olusegun Obasanjo as his pet project for the People Democratic Party, PDP is an anathema to our development and must be view with disdain and criminal offence punishable under the law.
It is not enough to annul the election without punishing the perpetrators. The trauma, agony, pains, destruction and murder of innocent citizens by the election riggers should not just be swept under the carpet without justice. Instances abound from Sokoto, Kebbi, Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara, and Kogi states. It is high time we act before people will decide to take law into their hands like a case of Kenya.
The only ways to preserve our hard earn democracy and to sustain Nigeria as one nation is for every Nigerian to take the issue of electoral reform with all seriousness. The PDP government will do nothing to reform our electoral process because they are the sole perpetrators and beneficiaries. Therefore, we must act and put pressure on the government to listen to the popular demands of the people. The continuation of Obasanjo’s philosophy of “do-or-die” politics of PDP and election malpractices may spark a bloody revolution that may break the country if the government is not sensitive to the plight of the people.
The PDP government has raise the electoral bar by monetizing the electoral process in such a way that the only qualification to contest and win election in Nigeria is to be a crook, looter or armed robbers with plenty money. The country has been deliberately impoverished in an attempt to continue suppressing people’s will with the aid of poverty. Our education is in shamble while all our roads are the state of dis-repair. Nigeria as at today still remains at the state of inertia as a result of imposition of leaders through electoral manipulation and rigging. The implication is that our country has been hijacked by the crooks and political robbers at the helm of affairs.
While all the countries all over the world are setting agenda for development in order to insulate themselves from the current global economic meltdown, the PDP government are already looking ahead to rig another election in 2011. Every Nigerian must prepare to resist this attempt. The oracle to contact is in the word of George Mason that says “When the last dutiful & humble petition from Congress received no other Answer than declaring us Rebels, and out of the King’s protection, I from that Moment look’d forward to a Revolution & Independence, as the only means of Salvation; and will risque the last Penny of my Fortune, & the last Drop of my Blood upon the Issue” (George Mason 1778)
On behalf of our leader and founder of DPP, we congratulate the people of Ondo for their steadfastness, the media for their vigilance and Dr. Olusegun Mimiko for his doggedness and tenacity in the pursuit of justice. The evil empires of PDP and other states where election were rigged will soon collapse in a matter of time. We, as people are hopeful that when the evil people conspired the good people will combine to scatter their evil agenda by all means.
In conclusion, we call for the immediate removal of Prof. Maurice Iwu as the INEC chairman. His continuation as the INEC chairman is an insult to entire Nigerians and further shows that the present leadership is not sensitive to the demands of entire Nigerian.
Oludare Ogunlana(Former NANS President)
South West Coordinator,
Democratic Peoples Party (DPP)
