Atedo Peterside
Founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Atedo Peterside has noted that the best way to destroy democracy is to allow people who do not win elections assume office.
The Chairman of Anap Foundation also that the youths must fight for a democracy where elections are devoid of manipulations.
Speaking at the annual State of the Nation programme organised by Covenant Christian Centre, The Platform, Peterside pointed out that the only thing his generation delivered through activism was democracy, which he said is now in “danger” because “if and where we have free and fair election.”
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On issue bordering on the free and fair election, Peterside said: “It must not only be free and fair elections in Edo State, it must be free and fair election everywhere. You cannot have a set of rules in Edo and have another set for other states.”
He added that “The easiest way to destroy democracy is for people who do not win elections to assume office. That is not the democracy we fought for and that’s the democracy our youths must fight for.
“In my generation, about the only thing we delivered through activism was democracy. That democracy is in danger because we decide if and where we have free and fair elections,” he said.
The economist also stated that “The activism the youths have to focus on today is to get free and fair elections. Without free and fair elections, young people cannot participate in politics because they don’t have the tools and they are not the best regal,
“The regal are those with the best learning, which are elderly people. They (youths) will have to dismantle all that so that it will only be those with the best ideas who win elections,” Peterside said.
