Since 1999 Nigeria Yet To Witness Free, Fair, Credible Council Elections In Any State –Agberen

Comr. (Amb) Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen, National Coordinator,
Initiative for Social Rights Concerns And Advancements(ISRCA)
AKA, “No Justice, No Peace” has said that “since the inception of democratic governance in 1999, Nigeria has never recorded successful elections, that are free, fair and credible in the council’s elections across States.

Agberen said this in a statement on Thursday.

According to him, “bribing, rigging, vote buy/selling, snatching of ballot boxes are what characterizes the event, which has further deepened the peoples hope, and have made them lack interest and participation in the electioneering process at all levels.”

He said that “if Nigerians must get it rightly and save the land, it is of necessity that we all took Local Government elections more seriously, as it is the grassroots to addressing issues of bad governance and also the foundation of Politics in Nigeria,” saying “communities that make up the entire Local Government in the area should not allow anyone disguised as a godfather or the State Government to hand pick candidates to represent them, leading the affairs in the place.”

ALSO READ: S/Court Judgment On LG Financial Autonomy Is Victory For Accountable Governance, Says Omo-Agege

He said further; “It has been surrounding and ravaging her democracy, which births poor representation and then underdevelopment.”

Agberen noted that “leaders that are selected tend not to attract projects to the areas but remain loyal to their benefactors or godfathers as we have had in recent times.”

“As a people, we must not forget that democracy is the system of governance which offers the best tools to fight against corruption, poverty and inequality but since we had always used the wrong tools, these things have continued striving against the people and processes of governance. These local government chairmen in the councils are responsible for rigging elections, most especially in the grassroots, which is the foundation that decides politics in Nigeria. We’ve been maligned and ridiculed by the same people who have exploited it and under-developed it, by allowing them to decide the outcomes of the electoral process. Therefore, let the people vote for the right candidates so as to better the lots of the people,” he concluded.