Ladi Kayode
Abeokuta — General Overseer of Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare yesterday described former President, Olusegun Obasanjo as the kingpin of electoral fraudsters, saying that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has equally started crumbling, especially in the southern part of the country.
Bakare who is also the Convener, Save Nigeria Group (SNG), spoke as guest lecturer at the 7th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Federal Medical Centre (FMC), in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.
His words: "Obasanjo's main legacy in our electoral history is that of rigging and fraud. The 2003 and 2007 elections were the worst in the history of Nigeria. Now, right before our eyes and in the lifetime of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the kingpin of electoral fraudsters, PDP's house has started crumbling, especially in the Southern part o the country."
The clergyman also used the occassion to further take a swipe at Obasanjo for entrenching rigging and fraud in the nation's electoral system while he held sway as president, lambasting presidential aspirants for next year's election as being desperate to capture power rather than informing Nigerianson what they had for the people.
He spoke on the topic 'Towards a Credible Election in 2011 stressing that "indeed and in truth, any house built on the foundation of falsehood is bound to collapse. The foundering of our nation in going against the tide of true democratic principles began in 1999 when egocentric megalomaniacs took over the reins of power and the happiness of society was no longer the aim of government."
He therefore raised alarm over a great and cumbersome challenge post-2011 elections" in view of the amended Electoral Act which has made the Court of Appeal the court of first instance, especially in the governorship election petitions.
He added that voting was the civic responsibility of the citizenry, saying that the masses can only support an administration that had emerged through free and fair election. He maintained that the rule of law be strictly adhered to as well as emphasizing the need for an independent judiciary in a democratic setting like Nigeria.
Hear him: "voting is our civic responsibility. The moment you do not register and vote, you have no right to complain about bad governance or bad leaders. It is only when and election is free and fair that citizens will have confidence in the government and be committed to supporting it to succeed."
He added further "One of the prerequisites of a free, fair and credible election is the existence of an independent judiciary to interpret electoral law. Until Nigeria begins to practice government of laws and not just of men, true democrats and democracy itself will remain endangered species in our clime,".
He also berated those jostling to be at the country's helms of affairs, describing them as incompetent.
He therefore disclosed that the SNG was more interested in electoral activities in Ogun State than any other state, charging youths to rise up to their duty by ensuring that they cast their votes for only credible and responsible candidates during the elections.
He added, "We (SNG) are coming to Abeokuta very soon to monitor things by our self. We are going to shine our eyes 'koro koro'. I am very much interested in Ogun State. If anybody thinks he will terrorize us in 2011, he will lose".
He said in order to avoid excessive petitions that may overwhelm the Court of Appeal, he advocated for the adoption of modified open secret ballot system of voting in the 2011 elections.
He added that rigging and other fraudulent electoral activities may be drastically reduced or minimized open ballot system of voting is considered, saying that there will be fewer petitions which should b properly taken care of before victorious candidates in the election are sworn in."
Speaking on the forthcoming general election, he said it would be the last opportunity for the country to rewrite the history of Nigeria, stressing that "a nation that hasn't functioned for most of her 50 years of independence".
He however urged Nigerians as well as those in the Diaspora and the international community to lean hard on the leadership in Nigeria to conduct free and fair elections in 2011 so as to finally pull the nation from the brink.
In his words: "The world cannot cope with a humanitarian crisis in a country of 150 million people and it is better not to imagine one at all. SNG, alongside other patriotic groups, had started a nationwide mobilization exercise to ensure full and active participation of Nigerians in the forthcoming general elections."
Meanwhile, The Olowu of Owu, Oba Adegboyega Dosumu, who also spoke at the occasion, described most political office holders in the country as caricature of credibility, stressing that "my heart is broken. I am a very sad person today because most of our political office holders today lack credibility."
The monarch, who was also chairman of the occasion said: "The most disastrous part of it all is that the people who vote today are far from being credible. This is rather sad," calling on Nigerians to pray fervently for the success of the forthcoming general elections.
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