2019 General Elections Have Shown That Nigerian Democracy Is Growing -Lagos Lawmaker, Olumuyiwa Jimoh



The just-concluded general elections in Nigeria have been said to be a reflection of the level of advancement of the nation's democracy.
A lawmaker in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Olumuyiwa Jimoh, who spoke on the elections, stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be commended for organising free and fair elections.
Jimoh, who is the Deputy Majority Leader of the House and representing Apapa Constituency 2, stressed in an interview that the country's democracy has grown over the years.
The lawmaker said that even the United States of America that gained independence 200 years ago. is still improving, adding that there is certainly need for improvement. 
 "There are tribal sentiments in this part of the world. I remember in the second republic, those who were not from the South West did not support the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, whereas there were no segregation against the people from other parts of the county. 
"I could remember that the non-indigenes enjoyed what we were enjoying in the region then.You cannot be living among a set of people and not respect them, you must respect your hosts," he said.
On the allegations of rigging, and under-age voting in some parts of the country during the 2019 general elections, Jimoh said that the elections were okay to a large extent, and that the allegations of massive rigging and under-age voting had not been proven.
He stated that there was nothing wrong with the fact that the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar went to court on the results of the election, but that the case would not go far.
"Look at the figure of the presidential election in Kano for the APC, it was 1.4 million out of five million voters. How do you determine underage voting. 
"In the north east that should be the stronghold of the PDP, the APC performed well. Give it to President Muhammad Buhari, he did not even interfere in the primaries of APC in his hometown.
"You can see what Buhari demonstrated in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where Governor Ibikunle Amosun of the state had a candidate for the governorship and the APC leadership had their own, Buhari told the people to vote for the candidate of their choice. 
"It is good that people like Atiku Abubakar are part of the process. "Look at the Governorship candidate of the PDP in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, he congratulated the candidate of the APC, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwoolu before the results were announced," he said.
The lawmaker disagreed with the notion that non-indigenes were coerced into voting for the candidates of the APC in the governorship and house of assembly elections, but that the APC campaigned vigorously for the people to vote for the party.
"We have been accommodating them, now they want to be antagonistic to the ruling party in Lagos. 
"The non-indigenes have been living in Lagos more than they live in their home towns. Their population is not up to that of the Yorubas. "The insinuation that Lagos is no man's land should be discarded. "This is a state that has its own obas and chiefs. You are insulting your hosts if you say it is no man's statr. 
"The governorship candidate of the PDP, Mr. Jimi Agbaje was saying that he would upgrade the Ezes of the Ibos in Lagos State to the position of our obas if they voted for him and this is very wrong. 
"Agbaje was part of the progressives before he crossed to the other side. The Bible says that it is God that crowns all kings," he said.
On the International Day of Happiness that was marked on Wednesday, the lawmaker wondered who fixed the day, adding that there were so many challenges in Nigeria.
"Who and who fixed the day for happiness. There are a lot of things that are going on in Nigeria, even the President of Nigeria said that a lot of things still needed to be done. 
"We must do away with all these declarations by multinational agencies. 
"These are some of the things we still need to do away with. The United States of America would just come up with American football competition or something like that and they would generalise it," he said
The lawmaker then promise to serve his people better in his third term as a lawmaker.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Expert Seeks Employment Of Health Technologists ... As De Potter College Of Health Technology Graduates 694

Image
A call has gone to the federal and state governments to, as a matter of urgency, embark on massive employment of graduates of colleges of health education and technology to nip in the bud the mass exodus (japa) of trained health personnel to western countries in search of greener pastures. This call was made by the Chief Medical Director of Babcock Teaching Hospital, Ilishan Remo, Ogun State, a Professor of Pathology and Public Health, Mandong Barnabas Mafala, during the 1st Convocation Lecture of De Porter College of Health Technology, Oru-Ijebu. The convocation lecture had as its theme; "Re-imaging College of Health Technology: A Pivot for Improving Health Care System in Nigeria." Professor Mafala noted that the employment of graduates of colleges of health technology provide personnels for the Primary Health Care Centers (PHCs) in the country under the management of local government authorities. The CMD also admonished the three tiers of government to resuscitate the use o
Read more

CSOs Demand Urgent Police Investigation Into Alleged Murder of Ishola Salami

Image
Civil Society groups, including the Centre for Human and Socio-economic Rights (CHSR), Frontline Socio-economic Research Centre (FSERC), Campaign Against Impunity (CIA), Centre for the Physically Challenged and Peoples Rights (CPCPR), Community Women Initiative (CWI) and Workbond Initiative Network (WIN) have called for investigations into the death of Mr Ishola Salami by the Nigeria Police. Speaking on behalf of the groups in a press conference on Thursday, the President of CHSR, Mr Alex Omotehinse said that they considered "it pertinent to embark on advocacy and submission of petitions to draw the attention to the failure of the police in Ogombo, Eti-Osa, Lekki and Area 'J' Police Command  of Lagos State to investigate the gruesome murder of Mr. Sheriff Ishola Salami at MOBA town adjacent AJIRAN on Tuesday, April 18, 2023."    Omotehinse stated that the deceased, Mr. Sheriff Ishola Salami, was a leader of the youth in Ojomu community, Ajiran Land.  According to him,
Read more

USA-Based Ogoni Groups Write Shell UK ...Seek Urgent Intervention In Ogoni, Niger Delta

Image
United States of America (USA)-based groups; Ogoni-American Organisation, the National Union of Ogoni Students International (NUOS INTL USA), the Center for Democracy Human Rights and Anti-Corruption International (CDHRAC INT'L USA), and the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has written a letter to Shell Oil, United Kingdom on the purported onshore oil sale of Shell activities in Ogoni, Niger Delta, Nigeria. The letter, addressed to the Managing Director of Shell Oil, United Kingdom, was entitled; "Urgent Intervention Needed in Ogoni, Niger Delta Nigerian Environmental Crisis And Opposition To Shell's Purported Onshore Activities Sale," dated February 11, 2024 and co-signed by Mr Pius Barikpoa Nwinee, President of the National Union of Ogoni Students, NUOS Int'l USA and the Coordinator of CDHRAC INT'L, USA, Mr Cornelius Dumerrne. The groups said in the letter that Royal Dutch Shell remains persona non grata in Ogoniland, and that Ogoni oil,
Read more