Nigeria’s democratic process is ‘doomed’, says Obi on Edo’s election

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, has berated the conduct of the just concluded Edo election, noting that the country’s democratic process is “doomed”.

In a statement on his X account on Monday, Obi said the election lacks democratic tenets and erodes the true values of democracy.

“What happened over the weekend in the name of election in Edo State does not in any way represent the democratic process we chose as a method of electing our political leadership,” Obi said.

“Instead, it was a blatant example of ‘state capture’ and continued gross undermining of our democratic process and values,” he added.

“Any nation whose leadership recruitment process is so fatally flawed is doomed, and we are all seeing the effect in our country,” he further stated.

The keenly contested governorship election saw Monday Okpebholo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 291,667 votes.

He was followed closely by Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 247,655 votes while Olumide Akpata, representing the Labour Party (LP), finished third, receiving a total of 22,763 votes.

The Edo election, according multiple reports was marred with vote-rigging and buying which negates the principles of free and fair election.

Obi, however, urged the government to discourage such a situation from recurring as it undermines the very essence of democracy.

He noted that Nigeria has invested heavily in IReV and BVAS — machines used to transmit votes electronically — stressing the need for them to function and be used properly in order to prevent electoral malpractices.

“To the agencies and individuals being used to undermine our democracy simply because they hold positions of authority, please remember that your time in office is not eternal. The society that you are helping to destroy today will eventually take her revenge on you tomorrow.

“To the lecturers and others complicit in perpetuating this charade, you must reflect deeply on the roles you are playing in damaging the very foundation of our democracy,” Obi said.

“This kind of action has no place in a true democracy. That is why I have always maintained that today’s politics is not about capturing power, but about saving the country and making it work for everyone, regardless of their background,” the Labour Party leader said.