By Gabriel Enogholase
BENIN—SPEAKER of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Bright Omokhodion, has said that the success of the 2011 general elections in the country rests in the hands of Nigerians, particularly the electorate.

He said there can be no credible elections in the country until Nigerians take their destiny in their hands by not only ensuring that their votes count but also make sure that only credible people are voted into leadership positions.

Omokhodion who spoke in Ekpoma, weekend, when he formally flagged off his 2011 campaign into the Esan West Constituency of the Edo State House of Assembly, urged the people not to compromise their votes.

According to him,“In every election in this country, we blame the political leaders, godfathers and godmothers for rigging the elections but my question is, ‘can these people rig without the express support or connivance of the electorate?’

Therefore, if we genuinely clamour for Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct a credible election in this country come 2011, we must not allow ourselves and children to be used as thugs to rig elections.”

“There is little or nothing INEC can do to help us, but we are the ones that should say ‘enough is enough’ to money politics and election rigging. We must embrace the ‘one man, one vote’ political philosophy of the Governor of Edo State, Mr Adams Oshiomhole.”

He urged politicians, particularly public office seekers to eschew all negative electoral tendencies, including political thuggery, and money politics but to conduct themselves in an orderly manner while playing the game of politics according to the rules.

While noting that it was wrong for politicians to see election as a “do or die” affair, Omokhodion insisted that election into public office should be freely decided by the electorate.

On his second term ambition, the Speaker thanked the people of his constituency for electing him to represent them in the state House of Assembly and urged them to do it again in 2011.

The lawmaker who reminded the people of the benefits and good things of life which he had attracted to them as their representative in the state legislature, assured that he would do more if elected to represent them the second time.

“You elected me in 2007 to represent you in the State House of Assembly. Between 2007 and now, you will all agree with me that a lot of democracy dividends have been flowing into the various communities in Esan West Local Government Area”, he said.