Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal has said that Nigeria is no longer a lonely crowd, even as he congratulates Edo governor, Godwin Obaseki for winning the governorship election
Tambuwal, in a statement he personally signed and made available to Ashenewsonline on Sunday observed that “the decisive turning point in any major contest is not who wins but adherence to the ground rules that made it possible for a victor to emerge without squabble.”
According to Tambuwal, the directive from Aso Rock that the game must be played according to the rules, made “our security forces to jettison the toga of allying with outlawed mode of electoral conduct. Similarly, the election umpire, hitherto tainted as biased reviewed its position and stayed on the path of equity and fair play,” the statement reads in part.
Read the statement below:
Our esteemed party has laboured tirelessly over the past days, weeks and months to, first, bring governor Godwin Obaseki, into our fold, and subsequently assemble at every available opportunity to rub minds and fine tune our modalities, strategies and arrangements.
We did these bearing in mind that we need to transcend the milieu of political brigandage and lawlessness in order for one of our own to maintain his position.
Our collective resolve, borne out of our shared democratic values, team spirit and concern for the people as our primary constituency galvanized us to work within the ambits of the spirit and letter of the law.
All of us, as servants of the people set aside, with utmost caution, negative thoughts that our party will not have a fair deal. Our logistical and legal nightmares, if any, were that the people of Edo state will not get a fair deal if the rules of the game are circumvented before and during the election.
In order for us to be circumspectively comfortable we resolved to follow the rules. We also admonished our esteemed followers to do the same even in the face of provocation, intimidation and apparent show of force, wherever these emerges.
To our pleasant surprise, our thoughts and adherence to the principles of right being might was shared by our political opponents. From Aso Rock came a firm directive that the game must be played according to the rules. In following this directive our security forces jettisoned the toga of allying with outlawed mode of electoral conduct. Similarly, the election umpire, hitherto tainted as biased reviewed its position and stayed on the path of equity and fair play.
Without equivocation, all that played out in the Saturday election in Edo wouldn’t have been possible if the international community had left everything to chance. They listened patiently to cries for justice and level playing ground; and, at the appropriate time they weighed in on the side of the people.
Indeed, their stern but passionate position and posture was invaluable besides being a universal declaration that all of human race is one indivisible entity that cannot remain entrapped in politically orchestrated selfishness that benefits some and throw others into untold hardship by making them sacrificial lambs in an unnecessary orgy of violence.
As the election was proceeding apace yesterday, I took a bold step to commend Mr President over his statesmanship. Some may have taken my observations with a pinch of salt. But as an incurable Democrat, what I foresaw with the benefit of quality information filtering out of the theater of election in the legendary state, I became convinced that Nigeria is no longer a lonely crowd. And, more convincingly, that our shepherd has embraced the age-long norm of cooperation, which has served some successful democracies across the free world well long before now.
I believe that it is not the victory that we savour as we celebrate the outcome of our painstaking collaboration and stakeholders firmness in pursuing our passion for the people.
Instead, the applause we receive from like minded democrats and the unexpected normative patronage that became pivotal to our success, shall, we sincerely hope, become the fulcrum upon which the outcomes of future electoral engagements in the country will revolve, anchor and rest perpetually. Today, more than ever before, I am convinced that democratic tenets are taking firm root in our country.
As I join the good and historically courageous people of Edo State in celebrating the winner of this election, I once again doff my hat for the President Muhammadu Buhari for allowing the conduct of the election to be free, fair and devoid of violence.
The same kudos goes to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), national and international non-governmental organizations, the international community at large, well-meaning politicians and our indefatigable party leaders and members for being steadfast and consistent in their demands for equity, fairness and justice.
