Edo poll: Obaseki’s victory buries godfatherism, says Senate minority caucus

The Senate Minority Caucus has congratulated Governor Godwin Obaseki over his victory in the governorship election in Edo State.

In a statement by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, the Caucus said the victory signals a new dawn and the ultimate end of godfatherism in Nigeria politics.

Senator Abaribe said the victory further confirmed that power ultimately belongs to the people and not to some phantom individuals who think they can play God and toy with the will and wishes of the people.

“Going forward, I believe that the Edo people through their overwhelming endorsement of Governor Obaseki and PDP sent the right signal accross, affirming that never again should any political party succumb to the undemocratic machination of some few, who like to play tin-god because of their supposedly rich pocket.

“This victory is a soothing balm not only for Edo people, but also for the entire country especially against the backdrop of the excruciating sufferings and hardship foisted on the people by the All Progressive Congress (APC) led federal government,” said Abaribe.

However, the Caucus urged the people of Ondo State to be ready to replicate what has happened in Edo State.

Supremacy of people’s will

Also, a former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has described the Edo election exercise as a huge relief given what he described as the “dwindling fortunes of the nation’s electoral process in recent years”.

The lawmaker equally added that the Edo polls had proved, once again, that no man could effectively play God.

He said: “While our electoral processes still leave much to be desired, I must say that compared to recent elections, the Edo State governorship poll has renewed the hope that we can get our elections right, given the conduct of the electorate, INEC, security agencies, and most of other stakeholders, which ensured a peaceful process and an outcome that reflected the will of the people.

“For emphasis, the Edo 2020 election showcased the beauty of democracy: the supremacy of the people’s will over the whims and caprices of any single man or woman, be it a godfather or godmother.

“And if there is a moral lesson to be learnt, it is also that no man can successfully play God, for God will always put men in their place.”