Every Election is a referendum on two levels! It is a referendum on the ruling party’s performance and also a referendum on the opposition in all ramifications. It is simplistic for anyone to assume a grandiose belief of self and not recognise that the necessity of ’team spirit’ amounts in most cases to irreparable damage, especially when it comes to elections, where all hands, old, new, saint and sinner must come together to forge ahead for victory.
No one can win alone; even in the best of democracies, we can take the recent endorsement of JFK Kennedy of Trump in the USA as a good example of where enemies unite for a common goal. When those who should hold their zones are forced to prove their electoral value by working against the party. One must not only deeply reflect but make needed amendments for the next run, if so inclined.
We cannot keep learning painful election lessons because we simply refuse to accept what is glaring. It is now clear that political leaders own the suffrage of their people at the grassroot. It is also clear that social media rants do not translate to boots on the ground. To our candidate Asue Ighadolo. You fought a good fight and I am proud at the first outing you did considerably well. I counsel you not to give up, as your people trusted you with their votes, you must remain their voice.
To the people of Edo State, the ruling party has told us this is your will therefore we pray it goes well with this new government however PDP remains a natural habitat for the good people of the South-South and as such, we shall do all to lure you back home. It must be asked do people vote for their continuous suffering? 2027 just got a whole lot more difficult though not unsurmountable because no matter how well the ruling party believes they have done in Edo, the reality of hardship facing Nigerians will determine if they will choose to continue trusting the ruling party with their future.
Despite the outcome of the Edo elections, PDP still obviously remains a force to reckon with as can be seen with how well we performed in this election. Despite federal might deployed and internal wranglings within us, we did well.
The tribunals will unravel the truth for we cannot continue to have elections with queried integrity. The sooner the PDP gets its act together the better. Need I say it is time for a much-needed post-mortem of this and previous elections, it is time to bury the fury engulfing us and forge ahead as a stronger and united opposition ahead of the next elections or do we prefer to continue bleeding as Nigeria and democracy drown?It is time for a New Direction, wise men and women do not pretend not to see what is glaring.
Otunba Segun Showunmi is a chieftain of PDP and National Chairman hopeful
