As law abiding citizens, lovers of progress and advocates of enduring democratic culture in our potentially great country, the people of Ilaje Local Government participated actively in all activities leading to the 2007 General Elections. A sizeable proportion of the 128, 000 registered voters came out dutifully to vote in all the elections including those of the Governor and House of Assembly members, as well as the President and members of the National Assembly.

Let it be known that the vast majority of the Ilajes at home and in the Diaspora are great supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and so voted overwhelmingly for all candidates of the PDP. The reason for this is not far-fetched. The party was simply reaping from what it had sown in the state. It is instructive to note that for the very first time in the history of the Ilajes and by extension the history of Ondo State, our people could afford a sigh of relief and a sense of belonging, away from the apparent abuse and neglect of the past, on the ground that our land is difficult to develop, by successive administrations in the state from inception till 2003.

Then on May 29th, 2003 a Daniel came to judgment, via His Excellency, Dr Olusegun Agagu, who was elected Governor in April that year. All of a sudden things that were considered impossible started happening to the glory of God and the benefit of our people. Examples of monumental efforts abound in projects like: Olokola Free Trade Zone, Igbokoda-Aboto-Mahin-Ugbo-Ugbonla Road, linking our riverine areas for the first time to the mainland, Aboto-Olokola Free Trade Zone Road, Extension of High Tension Line (National Grid) all the way from Igbokoda to Ugbonla, Adagbakuja New Town Development (where hundreds of hectares of land were reclaimed for the benefit of our people who live on water to put up permanent and enduring structures even for generations yet unborn), the establishment of a University of Science and Technology, a stone throw from Igbokoda, along the Okitipupa-Igbokoda Road, construction of thousands of housing units in our riverine areas amongst others.

From the fore-going, it was with great joy that we supported the second term bid of Governor Agagu, just as we rejoiced exceedingly alongside other progress-loving citizens of the state, from Igbokoda to Ikare, at the news of the victory of Governor Agagu at the poll and his subsequent inauguration to pilot the affairs of the state for another four years, lasting till 2011.

At this juncture, it is apposite to reveal that the only hitch we had in Ilaje local government during the April 14 election was the attempt by the Labour Party elements in the local government to stop election materials from being distributed, alleging that voting had been surreptitiously carried out overnight by the PDP in connivance with INEC officials. To correct that impression, the Electoral Officer opened all the 271 ballot boxes and displayed the untouched contents for all to see. After this exercise, the election-scared LP elements capitulated and election materials were thereafter moved to the respective polling units throughout the local government area.

The issue now is, if election started late in a local government area as a result of a situation created by a political party, is it right for an election tribunal concerned with justice and not technicalities, to allow that same party benefit from its iniquity? This is the big dilemma of our people, a major puzzle for Nigerians to ponder and a fundamental issue for the Court of Appeal to consider.

Incidentally, our fate is shared by other compatriots from nine other local government areas, where votes were arbitrarily cancelled, wholly or in parts. It should be noted that all the affected ten local government areas are strongholds of the PDP, where the ruling party won convincingly. This is a rather curious coincidence, turning the loser into a winner and vice versa!

One major question that has been ringing in the minds and ears of curious observers is: if malpractices were so rampant as to warrant the cancellation of almost half of the total number of votes cast in an election, why declare a winner from such a supposedly flawed electoral process, instead of ordering a re-run as was done in some of the cases on the Houses of Assembly and Representatives elections of the state. The other nagging question is: how do you disenfranchise sizeable proportion of voters in the majority of local governments in a state and still considered it logical to impose a ruler on the state in the process? Does it not sound like slavery or electoral repression producing an imposed maximum ruler by judicial fiat? We are just reasoning aloud.

Meanwhile, we say capital No to the disenfranchisement of our people. We say a bigger No to the imposition of a minority candidate as Governor in our Sunshine State. We say an emphatic No to this daylight robbery. We say an unequivocal No to this rape on democracy. We say a resounding No to judicial rascality. We demand the restoration of our votes