Olusegun Ariyo
The Edo State chapter of the Labour Party, LP, has urged eligible voters to ignore the derogatory comments made by some political parties and individuals during the campaign for the Saturday gubernatorial election.
Urban Express News Online reports that over 2.2 million people with permanent voter cards will be electing their new governor today (Saturday).
There are three major political parties and candidates in the race. The All Progressives Congress is fielding Senator Monday Okpebholo, the Peoples Democratic Party has Asue Ighodalo while Olumude Akpata is the flagbearer of the Labour Party.
There have been concerns over recent comments by the incumbent Governor, Goodwin Obaseki who wants his anointed candidate, Asue Ighodalo to succeed him.
Obaseki had on two occasions stated that the Edo gubernatorial election would be a do or die affair.
On September 13, 2024, the Governor said this while speaking at the PDP grand finale campaign held in Oredo Local Government area of the state said, “This election is a do or die. Do you want insecurity? Do you want people that didn’t go to school to lead us? Next Saturday is the election, you will vote for PDP and our next governor is Asue Ighodalo”.
Despite the backlash from concerned Nigerians, the governor, who appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday insisted that “it’s a do-or-die affair because if they do, we die”.
One of the eligible voters in the state, Mr Henry Osariemen told DAILY POST on Friday that violence may mar the election.
According to him, “Many people are not ready to go and vote tomorrow. This is because politicians have already declared war and nobody wants the war to consume him.
“Aside from what they are planning secretly, you and I don’t know, for someone, a sitting governor to openly declare that the election is going to be do or die, that’s not a joke.
“Are we going to be surprised if innocent people are killed? No, he already told you that it’s a do or die affair and that is what is going to happen because in Edo here, we have different thugs waiting to be mobilized.
“They have even started. There were about five assassins sent to kill Hon Prince Okojie in his own house this morning (Friday) only for the security operatives in the area, the man would have been dead now.
“If they can do that to a serving federal lawmaker, who are we? People will be killed and nobody will ask the governor any questions”.
However, in a chat with journalists , the Edo State Chairman of the Labour Party, Kelly Ogbaloi, urged the electorates to ignore Obaseki’s comment, come out en-mass and vote for their preferred candidates, describing the threat as a “worthless propaganda”.
He said, “it is a worthless propaganda put out there by these ones to call for a ‘do or die’. We advise and encourage our electorates to dismiss that and come out en-mass and vote.
“No one should listen to such a statement of charade and encounter self-disenfranchisement.
“In this contest, the Labour Party has a broad perspective and the party is billed to win the election.”
