By Abiodun Nejo and Dele Ogunyemi
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, and the immediate past governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, on Thursday, appealed to voters in their states to be law-abiding before, during, and after Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.
Oyebanji and Uduaghan, who spoke through a statewide broadcast and a press statement, respectively emphasised that the elections should not be a do-or-die affair.
Oyebanji advised politicians to pursue their ambitions and interests peacefully, noting that the peace of Ekiti State was not negotiable.
He called on traditional and religious leaders to prevent youths from engaging in activities that could have negative impacts on the election.
The governor, who empathised with Nigerians and Ekiti people on the hardship caused by the naira scarcity, bemoaned the excruciating sufferings citizens went through to access their hard-earned money as he appealed to Ekiti residents to avoid any provocation to violence.
Speaking in a statewide broadcast, he said, “I want to appeal to you all to avoid any provocation or incitement to violence. We have it on good authority that some fifth columnists want to cash in on this widespread depressive moment to cause chaos in fulfillment of a grand plan to force the postponement of the election.
“We should do everything possible to maintain peace even as we explore a legal and peaceful way to end the current agony,” Oyebanji said.
On his part, Uduaghan appealed to the people of Delta State to be transparent and avoid any form of violence, adding that the nation, particularly Delta, had experienced too much violence in the past.
The statement read partly, “The international communities have taken a keen interest in the campaigns and upcoming elections. Key among the issues are the twin challenges of transparency and violence. As Nigerians, the responsibility to handle these challenges is in our hands.”
Source: The Punch
