RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: ACN Statement on the Ondo State Gubernatorial Elections

Lawyer Obe:
 
Another analysis of this statement would show -particularly paragraphs 4 and 5- that Chief Akande has all but conceded defeat, and would readily congratulate the winner but for the fact that the winning party allowed thuggery to undergird its victory (we know there are no outright saints and sinners in this regard as far Nigerian politics goes).  He also inferred the hope that Labour Party, when in power would not treat ACN members, as enemies to be subjected to a witchhunt merely because they were the most effective opposition to the winners.  For me that translates to, 'we would let you rule and cooperate if all is, largely, as it seemed prima facie on election day, with seeming minor infractions'  He was only being guarded in case other things turn up that are not yet in the public sphere about the election.  I think it is a statement worthy of an elder statesman. 
 
Olayinka Agbetuyi
 

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Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 08:42:27 -0400
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: ACN Statement on the Ondo State Gubernatorial Elections
From: alukome@gmail.com
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com; ayo.m.o.obe@gmail.com
CC: NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com; OmoOdua@yahoogroups.com; nigerianID@yahoogroups.com; naijaintellects@googlegroups.com; Raayiriga@yahoogroups.com

Madame Ayo:

Have you seen ANY candidate's picture on ANY ballot in Nigeria in recent times?  Nope - and in any case, our Electoral Law does not REQUIRE mandatorily.

That shows that inherently, our electoral process PRESUMES that it is PARTIES that we are voting for, NOT candidates, even if there are "waivers" given to individuals like Fashola, Oshiomhole and Mimiko for individual good performance.  Other non-performing candidates expect to use the might of the political party to RIG for them.

So until our Electoral Law REQUIRES both Party and Candidate (name, face and symbol) identifications on the ballot, there will be indiscipline about flag bearer choices.

Also, are our political parties really MEMBERSHIP parties, in which primaries by verifiable members can be CREDIBLE?  I don't believe so in the least, and until then, even I believe that the false primary system should be side-stepped for some kind of almost gerontocratic (or party bosses) electoral system.  I once asked why membership cards cannot be used to raise money for the party, and I was laughed at, that it is the CANDIDATES that buy party cards for their supporters if there is any THREAT of primaries being held.  That amounts to buying the primaries.

So until our Electoral Laws allow fund matching based on funds raised by parties from their REGISTERED members, and until the financial books of political parties are so scrutinized, our political parties will be dominated by money bags.

I am always surprised when we are surprised at certain outcomes in Nigeria, when we have not done antecedent matters differently.

And there you have it.

Bolaji Aluko

PS:  I am the first to admit that our election campaigns -  pre-, during- and post election - are too personal, too school-boyish, or like university students union campaigns, on the whole immature.  We make silly allegations about assistance and money spent,  about betrayals and "capture" of territory with militaristic terminology etc. and gloat in victory unnecessarily. Too many people are too guilty of all of these things......

On Tue, Oct 30, 2012 at 7:27 AM, Ayo Obe <ayo.m.o.obe@gmail.com> wrote:

The statement is mature to an extent, but with all due respect Prof, the maturity would have shone through if the statement had not categorised everybody who has asked them to concede defeat as an enemy of their political party.  Congratulating the winner of the election would have been mature and could have been done without prejudice to any right to take action where serious irregularities are exposed.  But I know that is not how things are done in Nigeria.  Because it is war and battle, it is also 'no quarter'!

I don't have a lot of time for those who suggest that if ACN and PDP had conceded defeat, they would have unseated the incumbent, but the ACN shot itself in the foot when their candidate was perceived to have been - not just imposed, but parachuted in.  Indeed, they made a gift to Mimiko and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu's complaints of ingratitude only underlined the perception that the ACN candidate was expected to be a more controllable puppet.

Democracy will be deepened when internal party practices are less opaque and more transparent.  I am not one who believes that this is shown merely by having party members vote for candidates in primaries.  In our cash and carry system, it can be positively counter-democractic!  It is perfectly OK to have a selection panel but its criteria and processes must be clear and transparent.  Tinubu is smart.  The question in his case is whether he is smart enough to know when to let go.  Or to look as if he's letting go, sha ...

Ayo

I invite you to follow me on Twitter @naijama

On 30 Oct 2012, at 03:08, Mobolaji Aluko <alukome@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear All:

This is a mature statement below, methinks, that can only help to "deepen democracy" - as the saying goes in Nigeria...

But I may be wrong...I have been known to be wrong episodically.

And there you have it.

Bolaji Aluko

__________________

ACN STATEMENT ON THE ONDO STATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS

Statement by Party Chairman Chief Bisi Akande

1. Last week I issued a temporary statement on the reaction of my party, the Action Congress of Nigeria, to the outcome of the Ondo State election. Then I promised that the party will come back with a more detailed position after a careful interim review of the conduct and outcome of the October 20, election in Ondo State by the party leadership.

2. The Governorship election in Ondo State is over and the ballots received by INEC have been tallied. Some people have urged us to reject the INEC results outright because they do not favor my party. This we shall not do. We refuse to cynically treat our democracy as a thing to be discarded when its processes do not favor us. We believe in the long-run, the genuine processes of a genuine democracy shall favor all of us, even the loser of an election. We are prepared to lose elections if the contest is free and the process is fair and transparent. We know that in this manner our democracy is strengthened. No one race or political contest is worth damaging our democracy. We would rather lose the race and gain democracy than win the race and lose democracy in the process.

3. On the opposite side of the spectrum, other people are trying to pressure us to concede defeat as if all was perfect with the election. They do so not because they love democracy but because they are the political opponents of our progressive party. Their interests are not in justice but in appearing to be concerned about justice. They have never exercised any degree of political conciliation or bipartisanship in their exercise of public affairs. It stands as exceedingly hypocritical that they seek from us a gift they would never give. Thus, we see no reason to entertain their counterfeit expressions and the motives behind them.

4. This is our position. We believe in the right of the people of Ondo State to determine who leads them. For us in the Action Congress of Nigeria, the Ondo State election is a battle in a larger war; the war of deepening democracy and ensuring accountability in our country. We are therefore resolved to put the elections behind us whilst pursuing the task of providing leadership to our people effectively.

5. However, we have started an accurate but swift assessment of the entire election, from the vote count to the many and several irregularities and instances of thuggery and violence that occurred. Should we find ultimately that the misconduct and lapses were not sufficiently material to alter the outcome, we shall do the honorable thing and respect what has been announced. Should we find ultimately that the irregularities and wrongful actions materially altered the result, we shall contest the transgression as is our right and duty in a democracy. As leaders of a party and of people who trust the democratic process, we have a solemn obligation not to be swayed by emotion on one side or by intimidation on the other. We owe a duty to ourselves, to the people of Ondo State, and to this nation to vigorously protect the integrity of the process both during and immediately after an election.

6. We wish to state categorically that we would protect and defend members of our party from the unconscionable harassment and intimidation currently going on in Ondo State against our party members and communities that voted against the Labour Party.

We take this opportunity to thank our candidate, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, and the entire party for a valiant, dedicated and inspiring effort. We have nothing but accolades for what they did in Ondo State. They fought a good fight. As a party, we shall remain true to our pledge to resist any attempt to thwart the democratic process in Ondo State or any other part of Nigeria.

END

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

http://www.inecnigeria.org/ondo-state-governorship-election-result/

INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC)

ONDO STATE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION, 2012

RESULT SUMMARY

 

 

S/N	CONTESTANT	GENDER	PARTY	VOTES RECIEVED	% SCORE	REMARKS
1	OLUWAROTIMI ODUNAYO AKEREDOLU ESQ	M	ACN	143,512	22.97%
2	ADEUTI STEPHEN TAIYE	M	ACPN	1,806	0.29%
3	HON. ADEYEMI BOLARINWA	M	ANPP	1,461	0.23%
4	COMRADE OLADIMEJI TOKUMBOH ADEGOROYE	M	APS	751	0.12%
5	OLASEGIRI GBENGA FESTUS	M	BNPP	2,949	0.47%
6	BUILDER OMOYELE AFOLABI OLORUNWA	M	CAP	735	0.12%
7	EHINLANWO OLUSOJI	M	CPC	1,931	0.31%
8	DR. RAHMAN OLUSEGUN MIMIKO	M	LP	260,199	41.65%	ELECTED
9	OLADIPO BOLADE LAWRENCE	M	NCP	823	0.13%
10	ABIKANLU JAMES OLUSOLA	M	NSDP	1,103	0.18%
11	VICTOR OLUWAFEMI ADETUSIN	M	PDC	21,361	3.42%
12	CHIEF ALEX OLUSOLA OKE	M	PDP	155,961	24.97%
13	OMOREGGHA OLATUNJI KRIS (OTUMBA)	M	PPA	1,625	0.26%
	TOTAL NUMBER OF VALID VOTES	594,244
	TOTAL NUMBER OF REJECTED VOTES	30,415
	TOTAL NUMBER OF VOTES CAST	624,659
	TOTAL NUMBER OF ACCREDITED VOTERS	645,597
	TOTAL NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS	1,638,950
	PERCENTAGE TURNOUT	38.11%

 

 

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