By JOHNSON EBIGIDE
The recently concluded Edo State Gubernatorial election that saw Godwin Obaseki of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) beating his closest rival, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressive Congress (APC) with all the support of the major political godfathers in the state and beyond who wanted their candidate to emerge the winner at all costs, has come and gone, leaving however a trail of surprises in its track.
The outcome of the gruesome election had political pundits missing the track in their forecasts of the exercise, while the truism that injustice does not last for too long came to the fore, as the electorate wielded their electoral power against the oppressive roles of the godfathers who believed in fixing every election in that state and beyond by voting according to their conscience and shoving aside the influences of godfathers.
For once, determination, hard work, focus, unity of purpose and the will of God prevailed against the oppressive roles of godfathers, led by Oshiomhole, Ganduje, Bola Tinubu and other desperate godfathers who wanted their candidate to emerge the winner at all costs. For once, too, the umpire played its mediatory role in a most unbiased ruthlessness, resulting in not only deepening democracy by allowing the people to have their way against godfatherism , arm twisting and electoral manipulations in the country.
In all, the Edo State gubernatorial election has jolted the electorate into believing in their power to elect whoever they want to govern them without unnecessary prompting and intimidations from any godfather; it has shown that godfathers,who most times, are incurably selfish in their decisions, should not be relied upon when deciding who to elect as leaders of the people !
As the 2020 Delta State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) election, which has been scuttled several times by forces considered to be the handiwork of some marauding godfathers in the state and beyond, has been finally fixed to hold in the early part of October, 2020, it behoves every member of the union in the state and beyond to replicate the outcome of the Edo State gubernatorial election by voting massively against the arm twisting, oppression, self centeredness, retardation and anti-realisation of the Stronger Delta vision of the state government under the watch of Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, of marauding godfathers in the union.
While commending the determination of the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, in ensuring that peace finally returns to NUJ in the state, we urge members of the union to embrace the needed unity of purpose by ensuring that they eschew the meal of sentiments being served them by the marauding godfathers and vote according to their conscience.
Let members take their destiny strongly in their hands; let members reason and question why they are being forced to vote for a particular candidate against the popular will; let members start wondering why they are impoverished while those urging them to vote against their choice are driving the best cars, living a life of affluence and flaunting their inexplicable wealth; let members ignore gratifications in the determination of who to vote for; let members, and indeed conscientious stakeholders in the union, lead the NUJ back to its path of glory in the state and beyond by voting massively for responsiveness, humility, God fearing, progressiveness and protection of the commonwealth of the union in the state and beyond from the rapacious proclivities of marauding godfathers !
Yes, let’s replicate the outcome of the gubernatorial election in Edo State in the forthcoming NUJ election in Delta State.