A pro-democracy group, Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and
Constitution (CDNDC), has urged the electorate in Edo to learn from the
ordeal of Senator Bola Tinubu in the hands of the national chairman of the
All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Oyegun and vote out the APC in
Wednesday’s governorship election.
The group, which has been consistent in raising awareness on the
governorship poll, described the latest statement credited to the APC
national leader and former governor of Lagos State as a “timely warning to
the good people of Edo state to do away with the APC.”
In a statement yesterday in Abuja signed by its co-convener, Ariyo-Dare
Atoye, the group said “the injustice done to Tinubu is a reminder of how
the embattled national chairman of the APC, John Oyegun, and Governor
Adams Oshiomhole conspired and hijacked the APC governorship primary to
impose a puppet-candidate.
“We wish to urge the good people of Edo state to do away with the APC in
the Heartbeat of the nation on September 28, as this will commence the
liberation of Nigerians from the chains of the APC.
“The party is anything but democratic and it will continue to betray the
people’s trust like the APC did in the last four years in Edo State and is
also currently doing at the national level.
“We wish to urge the people of Edo state to carefully take note of some
very informed lines in the statement from the Tinubu Media Office and
their deep implications for democracy:
“Oyegun’s comportment regarding the Ondo state primary (inclusive of Edo
primary) will become the textbook definition of political treachery and
malfeasance of the basest order.
“Thus, Oyegun was forced to undertake his desperate fraud in broad
daylight in order to salvage the wrong conspiratorially initiated and
unconscionably executed in the Ondo APC primary.
“To choke the APC in this manner is to kill the chance for progressive
reform for the foreseeable future and Edo state must detach itself from
that perilous future.”
The group said that it was happy that Tinubu has now seen the light while
in “a gloomy party,” and has also seen how puerile the unconstitutional
title of “National Leader of APC” is.
The group, however, said that it was not unlikely that Tinubu may be
forced to consider mustering his charisma and sagacity to chart a new
political trajectory, stressing that his comment: “I find greater honor
and comfort where democracy and fairness are found and respected,” is a
pointer in this direction.