By Temidayo Akinsuyi

Chief Ebenezer Babatope, a former Minister of Transport, is a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In this interview with TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI, he speaks on the just concluded governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa and other issues. Excerpts:

Following the outcome of the Kogi and Bayelsa elections, some members of your party have been calling for the resignation of Prince Uche Secondus, the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). What is your take on that?

I do not think we should blame Secondus for what has happened. It is the APC that we should blame for shamelessly and brazenly rigging the elections. I know certain things are wrong with the APC but I also believe that we should not wash our dirty linens outside. Nobody should make Secondus a scapegoat at all. It is the APC that shamelessly manipulated the election particularly in Kogi. Look at the number of lives that were wasted in Kogi and Bayelsa; human lives means nothing to them. They killed innocent people before, during and after the elections. Even a PDP woman leader was allegedly burnt alive by APC thugs after INEC had declared them the winner. We should hold APC responsible for all the negative things that are happening to democracy in Nigeria today.

Are you not worried that Bayelsa which has always been a PDP state since return of democratic government in 1999 is now in the hands of APC?

In the case of Bayelsa, I hope it is not true that former president Goodluck Jonathan worked against the party and supported the candidate of the APC in the election. If he did so, I am sure that he is going to regret doing so. It has happened before in this country. A leader of the PDP went to rig the election for Adams Oshiomhole in Edo state. He voted and got many PDP supporters to vote against our party’s candidate. Eventually, he died regretting what he did. So, anybody who worked against the interest of the PDP will regret it. But we should not use that to single out Secondus for blame or punishment.

However, I believe that if Bode George had been elected the national chairman of our party, there is no way the APC can be doing what they are doing to our party today. The Bode George I know will not allow them to have a field day manipulating elections like they did in Ekiti and Osun and now, Kogi and Bayelsa. The way Kogi was shamelessly rigged makes me very sad.

Now that the elections are over, what do you think is the way forward for the PDP?

I think the PDP should go back to the drawing board and start restrategising for future elections, especially the 2023 general elections. Like I said earlier, the PDP also deserves some blame for what happened, which I don’t want to mention here. But I believe we should begin preparations for subsequent elections now and ensure what happened during the Kogi and Bayelsa elections do not repeat itself again.

How will you assess INEC’s performance so far, especially when you compare Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the current INEC chairman to his predecessor, Prof. Attahiru Jega?

Before the elections, I already predicted that INEC cannot guarantee a free and fair election. My views about the current INEC chairman are terrible. Jega was by far better than Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. We should stop using Professors for elections. Let us make use of people who really believed in democracy and who are honest enough to uphold the truth and allow the people of Nigeria to elect leaders of their choice. I am not saying all of them are bad, but there are some of them who are perpetrating intellectual fraud to rig elections. As regards Prof Mahmood Yakubu, that man is endangering our democracy.
https://www.independent.ng/inec-should-stop-using-professors-as-returning-officers-babatope/

Agreed. Those professors have been heavily compromised. Some will be struggling to read manipulated results

seconded! sex for grades professors rooted in civil sexual and political scandals....
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.
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guys visit my signature and start building and hosting your websites

They should come and use your family members abi?

Chief Ebenezer Babatope, a former Minister of Transport, is a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

....Says a member of the board of director of the criminal party that brought professors as returning officers on our nation in the first place!
These criminals do think all Nigerians are foolish and forgetful like their foolish wailing supporters.

In the case of Bayelsa, I hope it is not true that former president Goodluck Jonathan worked against the party and supported the candidate of the APC in the election. If he did so, I am sure that he is going to regret doing so

Regret?
Jonathan is in trouble o, from his boys!

I do not think we should blame Secondus for what has happened. It is the APC that we should blame for shamelessly and brazenly rigging the elections.

I should have said what a foolish man, but I was taught not to abuse elders.
May it never be well with PDP that brought rigging elections to our country.
Foolish people that cry wolf when election result do not go their way, but shout this is good for democracy when they win.

God help Nigeria


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FrLukas:
They should come and use your family members abi?

Hahaha

ddippset:
PDP have got 2 choices, and they must choose one;
1.Remove Secondus.
Or
2.Change his name to Firstdus.

Firstus or better still, Festus is more apt!

ddippset:
Festus

Hahaha

Professors that can collect bribe abi? Who should theybnow use, politicians?

Who should they use ?


Marlians ?



By the way has anyone seen the dead meat suya man lately ??

He has been AWOL since the sacking of all VP aides and non payment of N-POWER october 30k


Make una check am o


I hear say hungry don kill am

They have reduced Professors to mere messengers for INEC.

Shioor....Professors that ought to soaked themselves in researches,knowledge seeking,book writing,adding new and rare ideas to the body of knowledge, gaining national and international recognitions,going to world best Universities to give lectures,talks, and strictly follow their academic discipline.

Now Professors are roaming about in corridors of powers in all government houses,seeking one manner of appointment to another,some are even vying local government Chairman,some are state government looking for contracts,others are in Federal government looking for a position or another.

Audio Professors..With all our Profs in Engineering, we still have no 24hours electricity in Nigeria.

Recently, some Profs were caught committing plagiarism in writing....

Its the system

Is Babatope having an agenda for 2023 presidency?

He has been on news lately

Anyone that plays that role will still be compromised

Wailing is futile under buhari. Next

APC n PDP are both bad for our democracy.

I was reading to see the alternative he would suggest.

When I saw people of integrity, I stopped reading.

Since APC sold the man at Aso Rock to us as a man of integrity, I have already concluded that there are no men of integrity in this country.

Integrity and Nigeria are mutually exclusive

Don't waste your time reading this thread.

whenever I see see some them reading out results

I pity the students


some can't read out what they wrote by themselves , some will need a full 1000 watts see to what they will read


and they are still active not retired

I wonder how the Profs feel announcing Fake INEC results and going back to the classroom to supervise their students against exam malpractice and even been part of panels that punishes erring students

Corrupt proffesors expelling students for examination malpractice .

yeye dey smell

You mean ?

deepwater:
Who should they use ?


Marlians ?



By the way has anyone seen the dead meat suya man lately ??

He has been AWOL since the sacking of all VP aides and non payment of N-POWER october 30k


Make una check am o


I hear say hungry don kill am

Politics is a real dirty game. Dear APC, please takes it easy. PDP weren't this callous when they are in power. Bunch of bad leaders begat unworthy followers.

Bode George is such a lion n tinubu have bn doggystying his a$$ since wen I can't remember..... I blame yeye hello for lives lost in kogi state n I know karma must visit him or his generations. As for bayelsa election, even as a patriotic PDP member that I am, I would have voted for David Lyon if I were to be from bayelsa state because my loyalty is to my people first before my party. Dickson have bb running bayelsa as if bayelsa a private company n he is the CEO, he got wat he and all other tyrants deserve.

PDP have got 2 choices, and they must choose one;

1.Remove Secondus.
Or
2.Change his name to Firstdus.

The best option is to use Reverend father's...it's more preferable

The manipulation happens in the field

PopeFlatino:
The best option is to use Reverend father's...it's more preferable

What of Pastor?

This man has not overcome the pains of the loses PDP suffered in Kogi and Bayelsa elections.

Let them use carpenters or musicians