Senator Mao Ohuabunwa has said that the outcome of the September 19 governorship election in Edo State where the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Gov. Godwin Obaseki, emerged victorious, was a proof that Nigerias value leaders with integrity and devoid of encumbrances over anointed stooges whose primary goal in power is to pursue the interest of their god -fathers.
Ohuabunwa who represented Abia North in the eight senate also said that the resounding victory of Obaseki at the poll who recorded over 80,000 votes above his closest rival, was a confirmation that the era of imposition and god-fatherism in politics was gone.
The former Speaker, ECOWAS Parliament, who stated this in his congratulatory message to Gov. Obaseki, said Edo voters had demonstrated that they preferred good name and integrity to anointed puppet.
According to him, a resonating take -home message from the entire exercise is that the Nigerian electorate are wiser now and ready to stake anything to ensure the will of the people are not subverted or their future mortgaged for temporary gains.
He said that what transpired in Edo at the governorship election also showed that “glorious future awaits the PDP” ahead of the 2023 general polls.
Ascribing the glory to God, Ohuabunwa predicted the return of PDP as the ruling national party come 2023.
Senator Ohuabunwa commended the people of Edo State for their courage to stand with the truth “despite intimidations by those who boasted of, and banked on federal might”.
He also saluted the people’s courage in defending their votes “against wolves”, adding that such rare demonstration of bravery was a clear signal that Nigerians are now ready to take their destinies in their hands irrespective of the cost.
The former Senate Committee Chairman on Primary Health and Communicable Diseases, also commended Gov. Yesom Wike of River State who led the PDP campaign team to Edo State; other governors and stakeholders of the party for their solidarity and gallantry in the defence of democracy.
He described Wike as a defender of democracy and a crucial cornerstone in the PDP structure.
Ohuabunwa who congratulated Gov. Obaseki on his re-election urged him to treat the entire state evenly as his constituency irrespective of their voting pattern during the poll.
He further charged him to use his second tenure to deliver more legacy projects that would immortalise him as a people’s governor more so now that “he is in PDP which is a people-centred party”.
Senator Ohuabunwa also commended the US government, the EU and UK for imposing visa restrictions on persons involved in rigging and undermining the democratic process in the 2019 Kogi and Bayelsa States polls.
He said the timely disciplinary measures meted out to such undemocratic forces largely accounted for the appreciable transparency and peace witnessed during the Edo election.
He, therefore, urged the US and their foreign allies not to relent in any way they could help stabilise democracy in Nigeria which he regretted had been “hijacked and held hostage by a cabal in APC”.