Chief Olabode George, a chieftain of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), and a member of the party’s Board of Trustees, has credited the party’s woeful performances during elections in Lagos state to election malpractices that could have been avoided if the country had embraced electronic voting and transmission of results.
The PDP chieftain who believed that the way elections are conducted in Nigeria is “as rotten and useless and absolutely irrelevant in the 21st century”, reiterated that Lagos could have been better governed with PDP in power. An assertion he made during on Arise News TV, on August 11, while ‘thrashing’ Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s achievements in his 8 years administration as a governor of the state.
In Chief George’s words:
“If the system of electioneering is acceptable in the 21st century, (paused), do you think the procedure, the process of doing elections in this country is modern? It’s as rotten and useless and absolutely irrelevant in the 21st century…
He opined that, it is possible to achieve e-voting if the leadership of the country truly want to achieve it. The PDP statesman compare electronic voting and transmission of results to debiting and crediting of bank accounts.
“If people put money in your bank, you’ll get an alert… how do you get alert? So, the technology is available. They’re running away from technology which we can adopt. The whole process that we’re doing is all rubbish.
Elder Bode George also believed that the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, can only be loyal to the biddings of the person that put them in office.
“The LASIEC, who put the members of LASIEC, is it not Bola Tinubu? … It is like you’re now trying to undermine your boss…
The PDP stalwart also believe that elections apathy is due to the cumbersome processes by which elections are conducted in the country and that electoral processes are ‘useless’ in Nigeria if there are no changes in the methods by which elections are conducted. He stressed that if the whole world is getting modernized in their approach to living, why not Nigeria?
“If you went out on that election day, you’ll see the apathy. People are completely fed up. We’re trying to change the methods of voting.
He added, “It is useless, absolutely useless… that’s not elections. It should have been electronically set. So, there is so much problem in this country. If you go to the next elections with this mindset… (paused), you know they gave the senate that we can do electronic voting… the whole world is getting modernized.
Chief Bode George also lamented the present state of things in the country being the giant of Africa. He said even ‘little’ Rwanda has gone beyond Nigeria in development.
“Where is that giant of Africa? Even the little Rwanda has gone beyond us. Why can’t we modernized? What is it going to take? … Why can’t we do what is right? Let us do what is right, what is just … for the sake of future generation.
He argued that if the right procedure is in place, not around just a person or group of persons, and the electorates are allowed to choose who they want in government, elected persons in leadership position will work better knowing the power of peoples’ vote.
“…how can you take over all the procedures? (paused) We can do it better, this country can do it better… the people will know they’re elected by their constituency and they will work like hell… or go back and review their mandate. Otherwise the (election) procedure is useless…
Chief Bode George, who again emphasized that Nigeria does not need a ‘3rd’ party outside PDP and APC as people are canvasing for, because, it will be an exercise in futility to call for such. It will still be the case of ‘same of same.’
“People say let’s have another party; another ‘3rd’ party. Who are the people? Is it not the same people? That’s it! It is attitudinal! The people (politicians) are not just ready for anything that is sane. There is so much greed, there is so much avarice, personal ambition, to do what?
His lamentation over the country especially over electoral processes finally ended with, “May God just save our nation.”