Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba
The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Ndudi Elumelu, has been urged “to make a strong statement for democracy and write his name in the hall of honour” by congratulating Hon Ngozi Okolie, the winner of the February 25, 2023, election in the Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency in Delta State.
A group of political analysts cum social commentators, who made the appeal in Asaba, the state capital, noted that democracy could only thrive and the interest of the people effectively served if the wishes of the people expressed through their votes are respected, encouraged and upheld.
The ‘Concerned Citizens for Sustained Democracy’ noted that the advice was prompted by a recent widely publicised statement by Elumelu congratulating Ahmadu Fintiri for emerging as the winner of the governorship election in Adamawa State at the conclusion of the supplementary election in the state.
However, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the election, Ngozi Okolie, won the Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency election, defeating his closest rival, Elumelu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by a margin of more than 20,000 votes.
The victory, believed to have been helped by the overwhelming influence of the LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, made it the first time ever that someone from Oshimili (Asaba area) of the federal constituency would secure an electoral mandate to represent Aniocha/Oshimili in the House of Representatives since 1999.
The constituency is made up of four local government areas of Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Oshimili North and Oshimili South, but has only had individuals from the Aniocha area representing it in the House of Representatives.
“Learning to abide by the rules of the game and accepting the truth and defeat in an election which the majority sees as being transparent, free and fair is one of the indices and pathway to democratic development and progress in the quest for civilized democratic advancement. In this clime, while some candidates genuinely defeated often push for the cancellation of results arising from a given election adjudged to be free and fair by the electorate and observers (local and foreign), other candidates with conscience and spirit of sportsmanship accept such defeat with equanimity and avoid heating up the polity unnecessarily, and do not stress the democratic process in order for seamless progress to be achieved in our democracy,” the group stated.
The group noted that the tone of Elumelu’s congratulatory message to Governor Fintiri was both noble and commendable, adding that the minority caucus leader in the House of Representatives would write his name in gold if he would extend the same spirit in congratulating his kinsman and winner of the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, Okolie.
