TIME FOR BALLOT-BOX REVOLUTION HAS COME – Activist * Reveals Why He Hate PDP * Urges Nigerians To Get APC On Board

Tejiri Ebikeme/Francis Sadhere

As Nigerians prepare to head to the polls next month, a social political activist, Mr. Edward O. Nikagbatse-Oki, has made it clear that the time for ballot-box revolution was now, saying that the people must resist rigging in the forthcoming elections.

In an exclusive interview with National Reformer Newspaper in Warri, Delta state, the German based Nigerian, wasted no time in expressing his dislike of the ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urging Nigerians to get the All Progressives Congress (APC) on board and rid the country off PDP.

The political scientist implored all poor Nigerians to vote for APC, claiming that PDP has brought pains, sorrow and tears to Nigerians in the past 16 years.

According to him: “The Peoples Democratic party (PDP) has brought poverty to our land and all poor Nigerians should vote for APC and send PDP to the dustbin.”

He explained that the motto of the Ballot-box revolution that Nigerians must adopt in the February polls is: “Eat from the rich and vote for yourself”- the vanguard of the common man. I hate PDP so much because the party has made us poorer from 1999 till date and we cannot take the suffering any more.”

The activist also said: “Come out en-masse to vote for capable candidates. Your votes are in your hands. Change things in Nigeria with your votes this time around. To the members of INEC, the armed forces, your past manipulations of election results in support and in favour of the powerful and the moneyed class were more than an evil action. You are called to use your might come February general election to defend the rights and aspiration of the common men and women. Your might are in your hands. Change it this time around with your might by securing a rig-free, fair and peaceful 2015 elections.”

He enjoined the media to change things for the better in the country by canvassing fervently for the success of the ballot-box revolution, saying that: “The hour of the bloodless ballot-box revolution has come.”

He stressed that the common man is part and parcel of the ballot-box revolution because the ballot-box empowers the common man to go for revolution, but lamented that the common man has disappointed himself and the country.

He also lamented that Nigerians were still talking on ethnic lines when in actual sense ethnicity does no one any good, but destruction. He added that Nigerian leaders have refused to tell the people the truth about Nigeria, saying that Nigerians gave up their ethnic and religious affiliations when they agreed to come together and accepted to be called Nigerians.

He therefore, called on Nigerians not to be deceived with religion, just as he admonished religious leaders in the country not to use religion to destroy the country.

He said: “I want to advise Nigerians not to allow themselves to be deceived with religion. I also want to use this medium to implore our religious leaders not to use religion to destroy this country. Since 1959 the conservatives have been in power. We all know that the meaning of conservative is a people without progress. They do not have an idea of where Nigeria should go. Nigerians are suffering because our leaders are not progressive and they are using tribe to distract the common man.”

Mr. Nikagbatse-Oki noted that the function of the federal government was to lay the road map as to where Nigeria should be, but regretted that past and present administrations who are made up of conservatives, lack focus as to where Nigeria is going.

He also concluded that with the way politics is being played in the country, the common man cannot form his own political party because he does not have the financial muscle to do so.

While calling on the common man to go into alliance with a political party that is tagged by the revolution vanguard of the common man, he asked them to eat from the rich and vote for themselves.

“Make this revolution a permanent revolution. 2015 is not the end game of the revolution. After swearing-in, the common man should open his own report card now to monitor and register the activities of the alliance partners towards 2019. Try APC for the next four years. But if they do not perform, throw them out. The common man is in the majority. Come out and vote for the APC candidates and try them for a change,” he said.

Continuing he said: “The London constitutional conference where the British carved us into Nigeria, our leaders rejected their ethnic nature and said they want to be known as Nigeria. Nigeria is our general will. Nigerianism is the philosophy backing this revelation. You are a Nigerian first before anything. The problem we have in this country is because our leaders have deceived the people. All over the world it is the common man spearheads all riots. I want to ask a question; Is your tribe paying your rent? Is your traditional leader taking care of your house rent?

He said; “Have you noticed what the progressives are doing in Nigeria in the various states they are in control? These people came together to form a political party to save Nigeria and that political party is called APC. The formation of APC was what Awolowo envisioned when he said; “one day the best in the country will come together to rule this country, Nigeria.”

“Let us say no to 54 years of conservatives of wrong leaders. Every 6th of seven black man in the world is a Nigerian. It is our duty to protect the image of the black man. Because of godfatherism, nothing is moving in this country. Obama refused to visit Kenya and Nigeria because of corruption. The youths should claim back their country. And work for the betterment of their country. Nigerian youths are now area boys because of the type of leaders we have been having.”

“The women are the custodians of our culture. The government of the day has nothing for them and that is why their children are wayward. INEC will be defeated in the polls if we all stand up and do the right thing. All poor people should vote for APC. If we stand up and do this in the next four years, politicians will come to respect us. It is a pity that we do not recognize the power in our doorstep. The poor man is the king maker. I hate PDP because they have brought poverty to the country. If you are in PDP you cannot progress. What do we have to show for our oil? Youths, do not be used as thugs,” he said.