By Ibe Okoro
Enugu
The traditional ruler of Ihe/Owerre Nsukka in Enugu State, Igwe George Asadu, has advised citizens to shun violence during the forthcoming general election.
Igwe Asadu made the appeal when he received Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, on a courtesy visit in his palace.
He said: “We pray that the forthcoming election will be free and fair for the sustenance of our nascent democracy.
“We don’t want anybody to be killed during and after election. When you kill somebody what advantage do you get from the killing?
“We have been sensitizing our people on the need to respect electoral law and maintain peace during the election because we want to have credible election in Enugu”.
The monarch charged politicians to accept defeat incase they fail to win election, saying, “whoever fails during the election should accept defeat for peaceful coexistence in our country like we witnessed during the 2015 general election.
“It’s just a question of four years; in the next four years another opportunity will be given for another contest. So it’s not like the traditional leaders’ office which we occupy for life. So we must learn how to accept defeat and move on.”
He thereby prayed for the success of the election and thanked the minister and his entourage for the visit.
Besides,, the minister had said that they were in the palace to solicit support for the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Onyeama described President Buhari as a visionary leader who has the interest of the Igbo at heart.
His words: “My appointment by the President in 2015 was on merit and we are five in his cabinet which shows the President loves Ndigbo.
“We must therefore support the President to enable him complete the good work he started in the country especially in the South East which will go a long way in improving the living standard of the people.”