Speeches

Launch Of The Coalition Of Democrats For Election Reforms

Jul 30, 2009 - I am happy to have the opportunity to deliver a message of goodwill at the formal launch of the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reforms.

I believe that in about 5 decades over which our nation has been beset by the challenge of conducting credible and acceptable elections, this is probably the first time that a broad based civic and hopefully, popular effort will be made to promote self examination and expectedly achieve self determination in the process of delivering credible election.

It is an occasion that in my view brings mixed blessings.

On the one hand, it encapsulates and tells the painful story of how tax payers have felt let down having repeatedly watched elections conducted with their hard earned resources fail to produce expected results even after they have dutifully performed their roles by participating in the electoral process.

On the other hand, it is a refreshing breath of fresh air that this day has also finally come; because tax payers have demonstrated that they will not be content to lament failure but offer credible solutions.

This is the hallmark of representative and participatory governance that is the essence of a democracy.

I therefore congratulate the men and women of all hues and tendencies who have come together as genuine lovers of democracy to give hope to Nigerians through the formal launch of CODER.

I enjoin all men and women of goodwill to sign-on to this initiative; I see through CODER, the beginning of the rebirth of our Nation, I see through CODER, the symbol of the restoration of hope to our people, I see through CODER, the charting of our path to greatness.

Let me conclude by emphasising, that as we all sign up to CODER, we should realise that although our laws are not perfect, the missing content is not the absence of laws but the need for greater integrity in persons who will be entrusted to build enduring institutions; such as electoral bodies, political parties, judicial and security organisations all of who have a role or the other to play in the electoral process.

As we sign-on today for CODER, we are signing-on for integrity in the electoral process.

Our signature is a strong message of rejection of the notion that attempts to define democracy simply by the control of state authority and the number of states a political party controls.

Our signature offers a superior argument that our democracy must be defined by men and women of strong character and integrity who will run political parties that seek the control of state authority to provide the greatest good for the greatest number.

Our signature for CODER is a rejection of unethical practices that induces elected officers to decamp and breach the trust of their people.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for listening and once again congratulate all men and women of goodwill on the inauguration of CODER.

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Governor of Lagos State