–Blank NEWS Online (NIGERIA) -By Austen AKHAGBEME:
Not everybody saw it coming, neither do I, too. Not with the vociferous echoes of assurances coming from the APC national leadership and the misunderstood demagoguery of her local chieftains.
It was a rude shock stocked straight into the annals of political History in Nigeria. It is not so because of the defeat in itself, but because of the frailty of man’s confident assurance and wasteful boastfulness of self acclaimed strength and invincibility.
There’s no denying the fact that the national leadership of the APC paid lip service to her quest to annex more states as their heart was not where their mouth was.
Why would a government brought to power under APC inflict pains on voters by increasing prices of utilities, VAT, Electricity tariffs and pump price of fuel all at the same time when the only APC state in the South-South was gasping for breath in preparation for a make-or- mar gubernatorial election?
In a Democracy, the power of the ballot is key. And the only way the voters can exercise their power and demonstrate their anger against harsh government policies is by voting and this is what is playing out in Edo state.
The last straw that broke the camel’s back for the APC is the unwarranted call for support of their candidate by the Indefatigable APC national leader, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
His call at that point in time, was a dangerous one and , therefore, counterproductive. Apart from the perceived Oshiomhole’s overbearing influence on the whole process, Tinubu’s call became an irritant needed to spur the angry voters and those who were undecided and were already seething with discontent to give their sympathy vote against the APC candidate.
As it stands now, it is no longer about Oshiomhole, Tinubu, Wike or Obaseki. It is about Democracy and its sacred tenets; it is about the will of the people and the supremacy of their aspirations. It is about the progress of and well being of the good people of Edo state. This is the reason why this outcome must be embraced by all as we sheath our swords.
It is natural, normal and humanistic for negative or positive emotions to be expressed after such a fierce political battle by the two major parties as we just witnessed in Edo state. But gloating and teasing must be done within the ambit of the law and human conscience such as to eschew bitterness and vendetta at the end of the day.
Congratulations to Governor Godwin Obaseki and the PDP. As the euphoria of victory simmers down, hit the ground running and justify the confidence repose on you by the Edo people. Right the wrongs, adjust, recalibrate and fly. This is your time.
- Austen AKHAGBEME is a Columnist with Blank NEWS Online
