Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on his fellow lawmakers and other politicians to put an end to election rigging and the arming of political thugs. The former Edo State governor made this passionate appeal during a Senate debate on Electoral Reforms on Wednesday, October 22.
In his words:
“As elected officials, we as Senators must not—directly or indirectly, secretly or openly—support, aid, or arm unemployed or underemployed youths to disrupt elections. If we reform our character, 90% of this problem will be solved.
In Edo State, I introduced the ‘One Man, One Vote’ campaign. Sadly, today, elections have become deadly contests where lives are lost. It wasn’t always this way—we once convinced our people that elections should not be treated like warfare.
The true beauty of democracy lies not in occupying an important office, but in the genuine feeling that citizens freely chose you to represent them and manage our collective resources for the good of all. That, to me, is the real essence of leadership.
When one attains power through rigging or manipulation, deep down, there’s no joy. After every election, we see a rise in violent crimes because politicians often arm poor youths to serve as thugs, pay them small sums, and abandon them afterward.
Once the election is over, those weapons remain in circulation and are used for robberies and other crimes. There’s a clear link between post-election violence and these dangerous practices.”
0 Comments