Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has raised an alarm over what is playing out in the political space, saying that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is an undertaker, positioned by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to destroy Nigeria’s democracy.
According to the politician, actions and utterances from the APC and INEC in recent weeks show that they don’t want any other presidential candidate in 2027 aside from President Bola Tinubu of APC, “and they’re ready to destroy all democratic fundamentals, tenets and ethos to have their way”.
The Atona Oodua of Yorubaland, in a statement on Thursday, likened what is going on to the actions of the Biblical Abimelech in the book of Judges Chapter 9, a fellow who destroyed almost everybody and everything to become a king.
“But, in verse 23 of that chapter, God proved to Abimelech and the people of Shechem that there’s nobody he created that he cannot handle.
“This is the time for all leaders and elders, irrespective of party affiliation, to rise and condemn what is going on. You don’t appease evil. You deal with evil,” he declared.
George, former military governor of old Ondo State (1987 – 1990), said the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, was a pitiable sight when he appeared on a television program to defend the electoral umpire’s use of technicalities to sack Excos of political parties.
“Enough is enough. This nation mustn’t sink. At 80 years, what am I looking for? I was in Form 4 in secondary school when the Western Region crisis started in 1962. I don’t think some of those causing the crisis in the polity today were born then. Military or civilian, I’ve seen it all. We mustn’t allow this country to go down.
“We’re firing the warning shot now. Nigeria is too big to be manipulated by a greedy and selfish few.
“You want to be the only presidential candidate in 2027, in a multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic country like Nigeria in the 21st Century.
“We must encourage a multi-party democracy. That’s the spinal cord of participatory democracy.
“Actions of the electoral body in the country have continued to deepen the erosion of public trust in our democracy.
“There’s a legacy of stained credibility hovering over utterances of the Chairman of the Commission. INEC’s duty is to conduct elections, not to subjectively interpret court judgements.
“INEC must be for all, not just the ruling party of APC.
He lamented that insecurity is gradually collapsing the nation. “I don’t want to hear anything like external factors or elements. Those killing and kidnapping Nigerians all over the place are in this country. Instead of the president, as the Commander-in-Chief, dealing with these bloodthirsty maniacs, he’s busy using INEC to destroy opposition parties. Nigerians won’t allow this to happen. ‘It’s unfortunate that the electoral body has become an undertaker, mandated by the ruling party to destroy this democracy.
“Nigerians are being killed every day and nobody is claiming responsibility for what is going on. The Commander-in-Chief is just issuing statements after each killing. The energy they should have deployed to deal with these criminal elements is what they’re using to decimate parties.”
On the state of the judiciary, he said, “Unfortunately, our judiciary is also drifting. I remember the glorious years of Justices Elias, Kayode Eso, Oputa, Belgore, Uwais, and others. Today, the rot in the judiciary is appalling.
“Any evil is a reflection of injustice. There’s evil in the country today. Clearly, injustice can never overcome justice. When you deliver good judgments, justice is done. When you use technicalities to deliver wrong judgments, it’s injustice.
“Stupid people believe they’re always wise, but wise people listen to advice. The Almighty God has the final say on everything. Whatever you become today, it’s nothing tomorrow. It’s only the good legacy you leave behind that will last forever.”
