The Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) was on self-adulation mode at the weekend when it said had caused a record-breaking phenomenon in Lagos State in the general elections held in the state.
Eventhough the Peoples Democratic Party, which TAN promoted fell short of winning governorship election in Lagos State, it credited itself with a major feat of fuelling the election of non-indigenes to represent the cosmopolitan Lagos State in the national and state assemblies.
A statement by the group’s Director of Media, Afam Ilounoh, said the election the elections have come and gone but the ripples it generated would linger for quite some time.
“TAN in its characteristic manner, threw in everything into canvassing support for the best candidates whether indigenes or non-indigenes during the campaigns and at the end of the day, Nigerians residing in the state who constitute over 75 per cent in Lagos can now have people who will actually give them a voice and representation in the national and state assemblies.
The statement reads in part: “It would be recalled that the last time a non-indigene was voted to represent Lagos state in any form of representative capacity was over seventy years ago when the legendary Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was elected in the state. That was during his great partnership with great Adeniran Ogunsanya that spanned their political lives.
“Moments after the election of the sage, the nation fell abysmally into a political set up where primordial and other sentiments started playing crucial roles in getting a candidates elected into office at the expense of competence and capability.
“The implication of the ugly development is that round pegs continued to find themselves in square holes while mediocracy instead of meritocracy became the order of the day with its attendant negative effect on the growth and development of the most populous nation in Africa.
“With the significant contribution of TAN towards redressing this anomaly starting with the National Assembly election in Lagos State, it is obvious that the political advocacy group has indeed played a pivotal role in deepening democracy in Nigeria and as well take shine off the dreaded monster of political discrimination which has bedeviled the nation for long.
“TAN expects that every states of the federation will begin to give non-indigenes an enabling environment to contribute positively to the development of their host states, towns and communities as well as getting rewarded for their contributions.
“It is by so doing that peace and unity which has eluded the country because of unnecessary rivalry based on primordial sentiments of religion and ethnicity would be enthroned and sustained and Nigeria will be better for it.
“TAN congratulates residents and others who emerged victorious in the national and state assemblies and other levels of elections in the country. It is our desire to remind them of the enormous responsibilities of making democratic dividends available to the electorates entrusted mandate into their hands.”
