Julius OkorieAhead of Edo State Gubernatorial election billed for Saturday, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has charged all stakeholders to put peace and security of the people of the state above their political interest.
The President, in a statement made available to journalists by his media adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, on Thursday, stopped short of re-echoing his mantra that nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any citizen.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHe equally called on INEC and the law enforcement agents as independent arbiters to limit themselves to their constitutional role.
The Statement reads: “As citizens of voting age in Edo State go to the polls for the governorship election on Saturday, September 21, 2024, I call on all political actors and stakeholders to work towards deepening the nation’s democracy by prioritising peace and security of the state.
“Politicians must pursue their interests within the confines of the law and refrain from activities that could undermine the peace and stability of the state. It is encouraging that civil rule has endured in the Fourth Republic for 25 years but we should remind our people that democracy loses its value when citizens cannot exercise their political choices in a free and fair atmosphere.
“In the interest of peace and the integrity of our electoral process, I urge the electoral management body and security agencies to be professional and neutral in discharging their responsibilities. The Edo election scheduled for this weekend places a moral burden on state agencies especially the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rise to their constitutional responsibilities as independent arbiters in our democratic process.
“Security agencies must conduct themselves in optimal neutrality and desist from actions that could alter the setting for a level-playing field and compromise the credibility of the electoral process. On its part, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must live up to expectations as an unbiased umpire and inspire confidence in all actors through a transparent voting process. There is no doubt that loss of confidence in an election encourages political disputes, social unrest, voter apathy, increased polarisation and other far-reaching consequences that could undermine development and democratic consolidation.
“For democracy to endure, our leadership recruitment process must be devoid of all forms of manipulation and state institutions must guarantee peaceful, credible and transparent elections. That way, citizens will be able to elect leaders of their choice who they will entrust with the legitimacy to deliver good governance, peace and prosperity”
READ ALSO:Oshiomhole, Obaseki Power Struggle Resonates As Edo People Go To The Polls
The Edo election has become the most talked about issue in the Nigerian political space at the last couple of months with three major political parties; All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party locked in a three horse race, despite the existence of 14 other political parties, including Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) with the only woman in the race Patience Ndidi Ofure Key as its Governorship candidate. Can she spring a surprise riding on the popular political talk of giving women a chance or will she be politely told to wait for her turn? Time will tell as the game unfolds.
Candidates of the three leading parties; Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party, Monday Okpebholo of the APC and Asuerinme Ighodalo of the PDP, have been having sleepless nights mobilising their supporters for the D-day.
Many have likened the Edo State election to the 2023 Presidential election where the same three parties held each other to the jugular in the race for Aso Rock.
In the case of Edo State popularly called the heartbeat of the nation, it is not just about fight to the finish among three candidates from three leading political parties but also a fight to the finish between two God fathers incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki of the PDP and former Governor and APC chieftain, Senator Adams Oshiomhole.
Another school or thought has interpreted it to be a battle between the state led by PDP and Federal Government led APC.
Expectedly claims and counter claims of imaginary members defecting from one party to another, has continued to feed the propaganda mills.
One common fear irrespective of which party voters belong to, is the fear of possible violence just as witnessed in the last Presidential election, which may result to voter apathy.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
