Presidential Election That Produced Tinubu Not Free, Fair ― Prof Onigbinde

 

 

A professor of political philosophy with a speciality in public policies, politics and governance, Akinyemi Onigbinde has given his verdict about the 2023 elections.

 

According to him, the election that produced President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not free and fair.

 

Onigbinde, who is also the Executive Secretary, Centre for Development and Policy Studies, in an interview with Nigerian Tribune, said the elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the 2023 presidential elections was not credible and also alleged that the BVAS was deliberately disabled to favour candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Tinubu.

 

“We saw it as it happened even in the last elections conducted by INEC. Without prejudice to whatever the court will say, the election that produced Tinubu was not free and fair. INEC deliberately disabled BVAS for the presidential election. Why did it work for the National Assembly election which was held on the same day? Suddenly, they said BVAS did not work again,” he said.

 

Onigbinde also alleged that the general elections in Lagos was tampered with to reduce the votes of the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obi, saying, “We have it on good authority that the result in Lagos was terribly doctored to reduce the votes of Peter Obi.”

 

He added that by alleging the APC of using violence and playing the tribal card to gain the advantage of the Yorubas and divide the electorate, “they went overdrive in the governorship election. In fact, they reduced my humanity as a Yoruba person with the kind of bigotry displayed in the second election. Suddenly, the election turned to where we had to bring in Igunnu masquerade and oro, with people beaten out of the queue. Even some Yoruba who look like Igbo people were beaten and denied the chance to vote in the election.

 

 

The Professor decried the monetary tool employed by politicians and the weaponization of poverty, saying; “We have monetised politics and weaponised poverty. People now just go to queue behind the person who can give them food. I am from Egba in Ogun Central, but I have been one of the advocates of the Yewa agenda over the years. How could you have a people, out of three senatorial districts in the state, who have not been able to produce the governor of the state? Suddenly, somebody who has played all his politics in Lagos State and whose name has never been mentioned as being from Yewa has now become a Yewa person, maybe he just remembered the story of his great grandfather who was said to have come from Ilaro or wherever and switched over to Yewa.