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By Sylvester Imonina
Since the advent of democracy in Nigeria in 1999, Delta State had the freest and fairest gubernatorial election in the just concluded 2023 Gubernatorial election. As an opposition member and leader for twenty-two years in Delta State before now, I dare to say that the outcome of the 2023 Gubernatorial election in Delta State is a reflection of the wish of the majority of Deltans.
Though, every Candidate has the inalienable right to approach the election tribunal to ventilate his grievances against the outcome of an election, but when the said right is founded on nothing, it behooves on any right-thinking associates of the Candidate to deprecate such an unholy action.
Like I said earlier, as an opposition leader in Delta State up till January, 2022, I dare say that most of the election petitions of opposition parties were/are laced with ill motives. In other words, there are three categories of petitioners at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and they are:
1) Those who know that they have no business going to the tribunal but because they needed something as a bargaining tool, they against all good legal reasoning and advice proceed to the tribunal. Their interest is, “man must get something make he for nor die”.
2) The second set of Candidates are those I tag as bad losers who do not want their followers to know that they have no case against the winner of an election. Because they have the intention of contesting future elections, they go to the election petition tribunal in order to keep the hope of their followers alive. These set of candidates proliferate cases in courts and Election Petition Tribunals with the sole aim of making those cases unending till the next election circle. These set of candidates do not care about the well-being of their followers but are only interested in keeping them in political bondage.
3) The third set of candidates are those who have little or no reasonable evidence that can ground what they want at the tribunal. They know that what gives them such seeming hope cannot crystalize into reality. They are candidates who feel that if the little evidence with them is not used to file a petition at the tribunal, their followers will accuse them of having collected monies (isiagware) from the winner of the election. In order not to be accused of collecting monies, they go to Court for the purpose of massaging their bruised egos.
The crux of this write-up is thus: can it be said that the outcome of the gubernatorial elections held about two weeks ago is not a true reflection of what the majority of Deltans desire? Will it not be unfair to say that BVAS did not to a large extent give Deltans what they expected?
I dare to say that, unlike previous elections, the 2023 Gubernatorial results in Delta State is nothing but a true reflection of what Deltans want. Also, the BVAS helped in limiting election manipulations. “Mammy water” who used to generate “Sokoto” votes was handicapped this time around. Though, most Deltans are of the belief that “a land goddess” generated some controversial votes from Orogun and Oghara axis. While some of those results were canceled, a blind eye was given to some of the votes collated as valid votes, especially the ones from the Orogun axis.
Gullible Deltans should as a matter of fact open their eyes and see through the intentions of those thinking of going to the Election Petition Tribunal. Their intentions are not genuine. We should be wary of them.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the majority of Deltans voted for PDP and its Governorship Candidate in the last election. Deltans should defend the mandate freely given to Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori, the Governor-elect in Delta State.
Deltans, particularly the followership in the opposition should put on their thinking cap; they should not allow anyone to use them. I was once there and I know what most opposition candidates do in periods like this. Do not put your hopes in them.