Fashola regrets the place of rice politics in Ekiti election

After about four days of Ekiti election, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola has found his lost voice. On wednsday, the governoted that that a voting pattern premised on gifts frightening lessons for the nation’s democracy.

Governor Fashola who spoke to newsmen at the State House, Marina, shortly after a closed door meeting with Vice-Chairmen of the 20 Local Government and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDA), said the overwhelming victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, over the incumbent governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, at the poll, poses some concerns and issues that needed to be examined.

“I think the first thing to do is to acknowledge the courage of the people especially the governor of Ekiti State, for the leadership and sense of decency that he has shown, giving example of statesmanship.

“But it hasn’t come without some concerns and issues needed to be examined. I believe that in partisan politics, politicians and political parties approach the electorate with challenging idea, manifestos and with the intention to bring change to the state or country,” he stated.

Fashola who explained that every election is an assessment of what the people think and how people behave, said the Ekiti situation has left a frightening question of whether the Ekiti electorate voted based on inducement with money and rice.

“This is because that is very easy to do. Developmental work is difficult to initiate and to execute. And developmental work that brings on change which is what every election ask for, will also from time to time occasion debates and policy thrust. And which legitimately must be criticised.

“But it must be a very dangerous message to simply suggest that once you give people money then this is the way it will happen. It is frightening for me in a democracy.

“But it raises the question of what we have been doing for seven years. Should we just be giving money and when people ask about security, we say that we have given you money, go and rent your own security?

“When people ask for healthcare, we say that you have collected money. Is that the model for development?

“These are lessons and I am not suggesting that we monopolise the debate about what the best policy is. But I am saying that there must be another side.

Fashola said there must be a debate, a debate that recognises development at a cost.

“And that even those that are privileged to serve, don’t claim to have a monopoly of ideas? And we have demonstrated in this state how flexible we can be about policies if we see a stronger argument.

“But to simply suggest that All Progressives Congress (APC) states where a lot of development is taking place; the road to winning power and we want to keep power and I am not pretentious about that. We want to remain in power but to suggest to us that in the aftermath of this, that the way to do that is to give money, for me it is a very worrisome lesson to learn,” he stated.

He commended the courage of Governor Kayode Fayemi for his leadership and sense of decency shown over the situation.

“That is why, in his response, he said what is left to do now is to conduct research of the election to know what happened during the election for future elections,” he said, adding that balloting is just one of the process of election.