The Gubernatorial Candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Ondo
State, Chief Olusola Oke on Monday congratulated Mr Rotimi Akeredolu of
the All Peoples Congress (APC) who won last Saturday’s election even as he
decried the heavy monetization of the election process which produced him.
Oke who addressed the Press in Akure commended both the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agents deployed to
the State for being fair in the handling of their duties but regretted
that the open and free use of money to purchase votes during the election
by the ruling parties remains a sad commentary on the nation’s electoral
process.
This development, according to him, required the urgent intervention by
government if the much publicized anti-corruption agenda of the Federal
Government must have meaning to Nigerians.
His words: “in the last seven years, the policy direction of the
government of the day ( in Ondo State) has resulted in the growth and
circulation of poverty to our people.
“The resultant effect is the debilitating poverty that had made the people
so vulnerable. Therefore, trading away dignity in the face of excruciating
hunger during electioneering process requires little or no considerations
for morals and values that defined us as a people. The open and free use
of money to purchase votes, during the election by the ruling parties
remains a sad commentary on our electoral process. This requires urgent
intervention by government if the much publicized anti-corruption agenda
of the Federal Government must have meaning to Nigerians.
“Offer of money for votes is worse than looting the government treasury.
Apart from compromising the dignity of the people, it provides a fertile
training ground for future looters of government treasury. The consequence
of it is to render the anti-corruption fight a farce. There may be no
economic matter more urgent, difficult to unravel and more sensitive to
the pursuit of the average person in Ondo State than the current indignity
foisted on the people by poverty orchestrated by maladministration and
priority misplacement by the current administration. We hope the incoming
administration will address the problem of poverty so that the integrity
of our electoral process will be restored.”
While noting that from the observation of the people of Ondo State, they
appear confused and unsure of what would follow the immediate
satisfaction from the naira handout received in consideration of the
votes cast.
“They appear wondering whether the votes they delivered yesterday would
restore light, revive dead industries, complete the uncompleted ones, give
hundreds of thousands of unemployed graduates employment, pay arrears of
salary to workers and guarantee regular payment of salary; whether their
votes will make water to flow again in their unused and rusted water
pipes, reduce dust on our roads, revive our education and health sectors
and so on,” he stated.
Oke, who recalled the event leading to his and his followers movement to
the AD, said the movement was necessitated by the need for “us as
democrats and conscience of the people to shun the in-built perfidy and
organized deception in APC as revealed during its primary election.
“We moved to AD less than six weeks before the gubernatorial election. We
knew it was a big challenge and the greatest challenge was time. But we
were determined in the pursuit of our dream.
“We know how bad the situation is and we are aware that the art of
governance is difficult and complex, especially during trying times. The
steep reduction in global oil prices from over 120 dollars per barrel to
roughly 30 dollars and the huge debt profile of Ondo State present a hard
challenge that requires a prepared mind and experienced hands in the
saddle. We are convinced that we can no longer afford past practices.
That was the compelling re-occurring issue that defined our struggle. We
thank the people of Ondo State who believed in the struggle of Alliance
for Democracy and its candidate, Chief Olusola Oke.
“Ondo State requires economic re-engineering, creative reform, materially
changing the substance of its economic policy as well as the objectives of
that policy in a way that the economic well-being of the people will be
restored again. Therein lies the essence of progressive democratic
governance and that is what our party, the Alliance for Democracy stands
for. The incoming government therefore must urgently address the issue of
ravaging poverty in the state through: Industrialization; Job/Wealth
Creation; Rural Integration; Infrastructural Development; Security,”
He, therefore, assured that as members of the opposition, the AD shall
continue to contribute to the process of governance and would not hesitate
to point, in a civilized manner, the attention of the incoming government
to any area where the masses seem not to have been considered in the
policy framework of governance.
“We shall voice our opinion whenever we believe any member of the incoming
government strayed from the progressive calling required of the
administration,” he posited.
He, therefore, congratulated the governor-elect, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN and
wish him success and praying to God to guide him “as he directs the
affairs of our dear state.”