… Tasks INEC, Security Agencies On Free, Fair Election
Four days to the Saturday September 21 governorship election in Edo State, a cleric, Apostle Alfred Odion Uyinosa, Host of ‘Heal Our Land Oh Lord’, has called on the voters to ensure the emergence of Barrister Asue Ighodalo as their next governor.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday, Apostle Uyinosa stated that what Edo people need now is one who will continue the good works of the incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki.
According to him, Obaseki rebuilt the foundation of Edo State, even as he stressed that under the incumbent governor, the state has come first in several areas.
He recalled that Obaseki was the first to increase the state’s minimum wage from N30,000 to N40,000 and then to N70,000, when most state governments were yet to take decision on the issue.
He stated that under Obaseki’s Primary Health Care policy, the Edo people have been enjoying the best of care, while the governor had initiated reforms in the areas of education and the civil service.
He stressed that Edo people can only continue to enjoy all these facilities if they enthrone Ighodalo as Obaseki’s successor during next Saturday’s governorship election.
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Apostle Uyinosa urged the Edo people to file out to cast their votes in a peaceful manner and shun violence, stressing that election should not be a war.
He also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to ensure that the election would be free, fair and credible.
Uyinosa stressed: “We urge all concerned citizens in Edo State, the INEC, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), political parties and other stakeholders to exercise their respective constitutional role in promoting peaceful and credible election.
“Even in the midst of all challenges, we have seen a measure of issue-based campaigns towards Saturday’s election. No matter how we look at it, elections in Nigeria seem to be war, which is not supposed to be so.
“This has put the burden on us to control and manage the process by ensuring that it is free, fair and credible free of chaos.
“Every Edolite, irrespective of party affiliation, ethnicity, religion and other differences must develop the spirit of sportsmanship by ensuring that Saturday’s election would be peaceful.
“INEC must live up to expectations by conducting credible, fair and transparent governorship election in Edo State. Its performance will mitigate the controversies surrounding past elections. INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, must work round the clock to ensure that the election ends well.”
