By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has urged citizens in the state to maintain calm and should not resort to violence and destruction of property, adding that he will seek justice through a democratic process.
Obaseki made the call in his brief broadcast while reacting to the declaration of Monday Okpebholo, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as winner of Saturday’s governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday.
He disclosed that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) will “seek resolution for this blatant disregard of law and process” through democratic means.
The INEC had declared APC candidate, Okpebholo winner with 291,667 votes against the Governor’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo of the PDP, who polled 247,274 votes.
He declared that peace and justice would always win in the end, noting that, “this is my prescription to all the good people of Edo State who feel vexed and violated at this time.”
According to him, 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 on Saturday with the gubernatorial election.
“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
“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.
“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 in 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”, Obaseki said.
