Godsday Orubebe is in the news again. This time he isn’t preventing anyone from announcing the result of an election, but he’s sending strong warning to the electoral body and the ruling party ahead of Nigeria’s 2019 General Elections.
Orubebe, who was the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, gained global attention in 2015 as he attempted to disrupt the announcement of presidential result in Abuja.
He accused the then head of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof Attahiru Jega of bias.
All Progressives Congress (APC) was the opposition during the time and went on to win the election.
After the election result of 2015 nothing has been heard about him politically, but in a recent interview with the TELL magazine, he said the alleged rigging in Ekiti and other governorship elections would not be allowed to be repeated in the 2019 elections.
According to him, no one will pose an obstacle to the liberty of Nigerians to choose their President.
“Everybody knows what happened in Ekiti; it was a stolen victory. And so it is in some other areas. We have been talking to our people to have patience. What has been happening in those elections can’t take place in February 2019. It can’t happen.”
Political analysts have predicted that 2019 general elections would be the most keenly contested election since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule.
There are 91 registered political parties, but most of them won’t be presenting presidential candidate, rather adopt candidate of the existing parties.
Two main political parties: PDP and APC are expected to go into the election head to head as both parties are presenting northerner and Muslim as their candidates.
The incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari of APC will be contesting for second term while Atiku Abubakar of PDP will be testing his popularity again as his several attempts have failed.
