Olabode George, a former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), denounced what he called the harassment of Bala Mohammed, the governor of Bauchi State, and Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo State.
George claimed in a statement that intimidating state officials for having divergent opinions is a deliberate attack.
The older statesman stated that democracy without a strong opposition is despotism in disguise as he considered Nigeria’s democratic path and current political and economic developments.
George bemoaned what he described as the growing intolerance of political opposition.
We are at a pivotal point in the history of our country,” the statement said. There is a lot of anxiety in the air, not because there isn’t much possibility but rather because the democratic principles that unite us are being steadily undermined. First, we need to confront the concerning trend of animosity against dissident voices.
“The harassment of the governors of Bauchi and Oyo states, Bala Mohammed and Seyi Makinde, is a deliberate attack on our country’s federalist system, not just a political altercation. A perilous trend toward a one-party state is indicated when state officials are intimidated for having differing opinions. A multiplicity of ideas, not the quiet of the cemetery, is what makes democracy flourish.
“We observe a startling disconnect in the halls of power as our people struggle with unheard-of adversity. The enormous donations made to the First Lady Remi Tinubu’s private library show a deep disregard for the state of the economy. Such sums would have been better used to alleviate the stinging poverty that has become the everyday companion of the average Nigerian in a country where millions go to bed hungry.
“Service and sacrifice must be the hallmarks of leadership, not the preservation of legacies while the populace suffers. Additionally, the INEC Chairman is called upon. You are directly responsible for our democracy’s reputation. You have to be equitable and fair. There must be an end to the days of “miracle results” and technical errors. Nigeria should have free, fair, and transparent elections in which the winner is chosen by the ballot rather by the “arrangement.”
