Benin National Congress decries violence and cult-related manipulation of aspirants-19-01-2011

By Edo Benin

Having regards to the just concluded parties' primaries across Edo state, Nigeria, it has become pertinent to condemn the glaring use of thugs by top politicians of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Action Congress of Nigeria- Edo State chapters and the alleged diabolic manipulation as canvassed by Prof. Omo Omoruyi against a top Politician of Action Congress extraction from Orhiomwon Local Government Area. The development has caste serious aspersion on the credibility of our current political leaders in providing people-oriented leadership in the years ahead. We appeal to Independent National Electoral Commission to wade into the allegations of politically induced violence by ordering a fresh primaries as Edo people will massively reject any attempt to foist unpopular candidates on them in the April elections. It is callous, sad, shameful and abysmally incredible to find or learn that in a 21stcentury Nigeria that politicians will insist on cult membership as a pre-requisite for party endorsement, how can we have free-minded representatives to canvass for change and overall transformation; this disposition over the years has been substantially responsible for the under-development of Edo State, we call opinion leaders to cause this issue to be investigated if we are indeed desirous of building a virile society where good morals and social values are sacrosanct.

We respectfully call on religious and party leaders to guard against attempts to impose cult members most of whom are desperadoes and mediocre on the people as candidates in the April elections. It is indeed shameful that high class politicians will resort to mobilization of deviants and drug addicts to unleash violence on their co-aspirants in the name of party primaries as substantially viewed on the electronic media during the ACN primaries. The Congress can confirm that Action Congress of Nigeria primaries across the senatorial districts were violently skewed. We call on the Governor to set machineries in motion to unravel the mystery behind the mayhems that plagued his party's primaries and currently threatening the philosophy of his avowed One man, One vote slogans. The Congress wish to reiterate that it will mobilize against any party which fails to uphold the dignity of democratic selection process like party primaries in the April Poll because such party cannot guarantee the entrenchment of democratic values whether in legislation or execution of public policy.

Dr. David Ekomwenrenren- Director of Publicity and Intelligence