Lagos APC Salutes Governor Aregbesola

The All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos State, western Nigeria, has joined millions of Nigerians, especially the people of the State of Osun to congratulate Governor Rauf Aregbesola for his victory at the polls on Saturday, 9 August, 2014.

In a release signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Mr Joe Igbokwe, the party says it is victory well deserved even though it was earned through a fierce struggle between light and darkness, between mediocrity and ideas, between guns and bare hands.

“What we witnessed in Osun was like a war situation. Deploying 50,000 armed men in uniform to Osun State in an election that is supposed to be seen as a normal and smooth electoral process is displaying the worst form of political irresponsibility and banality, taking impunity and brigandage to a frightening and disturbing level.

“The election was turned into war situation,putting fear in the minds of the people and consequently sending the wrong signal to the world that we are not yet ready to adhere to the rules and tenets of democracy,” Igbokwe said.

According to him, “the courage and the determination of the State of Osun people in the face of tyranny, oppression, suppression,  repression  and intimidation, shows that no standing army, no matter how strong it is in the world can crush the decency of the human spirit.

“In the State of Osun, we saw a people who are in love with their governor, a people satisfied with his leadership, a people who are ready to put their lives on the line to defend what they believe in and support a governor they all love and cherish.

“In the State of Osun, the thieves came to steal and to destroy but the ordinary people with no guns, no jackboots and no bombs resisted and stood their ground that it is Governor Rauf or nothing.

“In one voice, in amity, in unity and in concord, the people of the State of Osun have sent a clear message to Nigerians and the world that no power can stop an idea whose time has come.

“While we felicitate with the Governor of the State of Osun for this resounding victory, it is pertinent to remind him that it is not over until it is over. The enemies and unrepentant thieves are still at the door waiting to take what does not belong to them across Nigeria.”

The party says “democracy is celebrated all over the world because there is the ruling party as well as an effective opposition. Once the opposition is decimated or relegated to the background democracy is destroyed, giving way to full blown dictatorship.”