Chukwudi Nweje
Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kassim Afegbua, has given reasons why he is against the candidacy of Governor Godwin Obaseki, as the party’s candidate.
He described Obaseki as a “stranger” who was gifted the governorship ticket, describing the action as a bad omen for our collective sufferance and a sad commentary for democracy, adding that he will follow his conscience rather than succumb to the dictates of the party
“Between conscience and Party, I will opt for my conscience over party. While party plays a temporary platform for acquisition and abuse of power, conscience defines the content and character of a man in his interaction with fellow beings and human emanations. While I am in constant touch with my conscience, my party abandoned me as it sold away my right of being heard in its negotiation to gift a “stranger” the party’s ticket.
That is a bad omen for our collective sufferance and a sad commentary for democracy. It is a contradiction that leaves a gaping hole in the heart of proper democratic practice.
“My current position is informed by a number of factors. First, it is utterly wrong for a party to surreptitiously surrender its apparati, privileges, structures and “ideological” stratophere to a new entrant as though there were no persons in the party.
Within 24 hours, scheduled primary elections were postponed, and all processes leading to the scheduled event were disrupted. If the urge was dictated by altruistic intention to feature Godwin Obaseki on account of strong and result-driven leadership, or performance, one could have understood, but anywhere I turned, the motivation was that Godwin Obaseki has state funds to fund the campaigns. Should that be a selling point if truly we are serious-minded opposition?”