Respect One-Man-One-Vote Principle – Osunbor

The former Governor of Edo State, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, has called on Gov. Adams Oshiomhole to test his popularity by allowing the people to freely determine who governs them in 2012.

Osunbor told The Tide in Iruekpen, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo, that he was an aspirant in the Edo 2012 governorship election.

He said he would want Oshiomhole to uphold the principle of one-man-one-vote, which he had canvassed around the country.

It will be recalled that Osunbor’s administration was sacked by a Court of Appeal judgement, which ruled in favour of Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on November 11, 2008.

The former governor said that his decision to vie for the state’s number one seat was to reclaim his mandate, which he claimed was stolen from him.

He said, “I am taking another shot at the governorship of the state because I have not completed my tenure. The mandate Edo people freely gave to me in April 2007 was stolen from me.

“Edo people are not happy about this. Since that mandate was taken from me, the people have been groaning under one form of pain or the other.

“Either you are talking of demolition of houses without compensation, over taxation, harassment of okada riders, market women, and artisans.

“Even for people to build their houses now has become a burden because of the activities of the government.”

Osunbor expressed confidence in the ability of INEC to conduct a credible, free and fair election for the state in 2012.

He, however, expressed reservation on the ability of the Oshiomhole led administration to ensure a level playing field for the elections.

The former governor said, “the challenges are that we know the attitude and antecedents of those in power in Edo State.

“Although the professed one-man-one-vote, we know that in their conduct and in reality, they are just opposite of the one-man-one-vote policy.

“INEC must ensure that those kind of gimmicks are not allowed to repeat themselves in the 2012 election and that the will of the people must be allowed to prevail.

“This is very essential, it is not the will of some other persons outside Edo that should be allowed to prevail but that of the people.”

In his reaction, Mr Tony Iyare, Special Adviser to the Edo Govenor on Media and Public Affairs, said Oshiomhole would continue to stand on the principle of one-man-one-vote.

Iyare said that the principle of one-man-one-vote was the only basis that Nigeria could be said to be practising real democracy.