The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has called for calm among residents following the outcome of the governorship election. On Saturday, September 21, Edo residents went to the polls to elect their next governor and on Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, as the winner of the election.... CLICK TO READ THE FULL NEWS HERE▶▶
The commission stated that Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 247,274 votes and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP), who came a distant third in the race with 22,761 votes.
Obaseki, in a statement, expressed his disappointment at the outcome of the election, stating that it was marred by irregularities and a disregard for processes and the rule of law.
He called on Edo residents to remain calm and go about their lawful business. He urged PDP supporters not to resort to violence or engage in the destruction of property despite the provocation.
The statement reads,
“In the last few months, the various political parties have embarked on very rigorous campaigns to sell their respective candidates for the office of governor to the people of Edo State in an exercise which came to a climax yesterday with the gubernatorial election.
The attractive thing about democracy is the power it bestows on the people to choose who governs them. Therefore, when this power is blatantly seized from the people, it is not just a tragedy, but a travesty of democracy.
Regrettably, the outcome of the September 21st governorship election appears to have daunted the spirit of many Edo people who feel powerless in the face of the brute force of the institutions that are supposed to protect them. It is therefore understandable that many people feel sad and aggrieved.
But in the midst of this despair, I am urging all my fellow Edo citizens to maintain calm and not resort to violence and destruction of property in spite of this provocation.
Peace and justice will always win at the end and this is my prescription to all the good people of Edo State who feel vexed and violated at this time.
Clearly, it is obvious to the least discerning, the amount of impunity and reckless disregard for processes and law that was displayed in this gubernatorial election.
In a democracy, there are safeguards for addressing grievances, and we hope that those affected will seek resolution for this blatant disregard of law and process. With this in mind, I implore all Edo people to go about their lawful businesses and rest assured of the commitment of our government to your wellbeing and security.”... CLICK TO READ THE FULL NEWS HERE▶▶
