The Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has called on the people of the neighbouring West African country, Burkina Faso, not to allow military rule after the exit of Blaise Compaore.
Aregbesola charged the Burkinabes to carry the revolution that ousted Compaore to its logical conclusion by forming a national government that will conduct election in the shortest time possible.
This was even as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, called on all stakeholders in the Nigerian project to get their acts together and make sure a good leader is elected for the country in 2015.
Aregbesola made these obe=servations on Sunday at a Victory Colloquiem organised for him by the Gazelle News, an online news organisation, in Lagos.
The governor said the Burkina Faso situation is a signal to Nigerians to gird their loins and prepare for the February 2015 general elections.
He said the organisation of elections will not come easy as the ruling Peoples Democratic Party will want to use force it could muster to stay in power.
He decried the militarisation of election and the Federal Government’s lawlessness and impunity against political opposition in Nigeria.
He warned the political office holder to comport themselves to civil rule so as not to give military any excuse to take power as it is no longer fashionable for military coup in Africa.
Aregbesola said: “The political development in Burkina Faso is one that must be commended by any lover of democracy.
“The people of Burkina Faso were courageous in their refusal to tolerate a tyrant any further.
“The Burkinabes must carry the revolution to its logical end by forming a national government, which will conduct elections.
“They should not allow military to take power again in that country for whatever reason.
“And it is pertinent to add that what happened and is happening in Burkina Faso is a signal to us in Nigeria.
“We should gird our loins and prepare for any eventualities that may accompany the February 2015 general elections.
“I say this because the trend in recent time has demonstrated that the election will not come as easy as we may want to think as it is demonstrably clear that PDP will want to use force to retain power.
“Whereas, the PDP is not a party that is unbeatable.
“For if we beat the PDP in Osun, it means we can beat it anywhere and we must beat it everywhere.”
Tambuwal, in his remarks, said what Nigeria needed urgently is a good leader, one who believes in peace, progress and development of the country and the welfare of the people.
The Speaker said he was miffed by the pronouncement of the Acting Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, that he (Tambuwal) should vacate his office having defected from PDP to the All Progressives Congress.
He argued thus: “Recently, the Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, defected to PDP alongside the Speaker of House of Assembly.
“The IGP did not say the Speaker should vacate his seat.
“Why is he now making such pronouncement in my own case?
“Is it a case of different laws for different people?
“Anyway, I have gone to court, so I rest my case.
“I must, however, commend well-meaning Nigerians, political and civil society groups for the support they have given me since this whole issue started.”
The Guest speaker at the occasion, Dr. Muiz Banire, said the use of military for the conduct of elections is totally unconstitutional and so must be discouraged.
Banire, in a lecture entitled: “Osun Election: A Pathway for Nigeria’s Democratic Growth,” posited that it is abnormal to find government still deploying soldiers in order to rig elections for its favoured candidates all in the guise of providing security and observing the rule of law.
He said: “It is our position that the use of military men to conduct elections is completely unconstitutional.
“It is the apogee of lawlessness and the zenith of impunity for any president to deploy soldiers to monitor or conduct elections in Nigeria.”
Dignitaries at the occasion included the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (represented by Alhaji Kawu Baraje); former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (represented by former Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Lagos State, Prince Adeniji Adele); Tambuwal; former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; and the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Orelope Adejoke-Adefulire.
Others were the Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salam; Hon. Hakeem Gbajabiamila; APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Muhammed; and Banire.
Also at the ceremony were royal fathers from Osun and Kwara States.
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