A group of Edo indigenes, under the aegis of Concerned Edo Citizens Forum (CECF) has called on the people of Edo State not to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, noting that the guber candidate would take the state backward, reversing the gains recorded by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government in the areas of job creation, infrastructure, education, and healthcare, among others.
In a statement, convener of the group, Comrade Roy Oribhabor, condemned the failed invasion of the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA) Complex in Benin City and the inauguration of a parallel Assembly in the state, urging the relevant government agencies to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of the illegal act.
The group expressed worry over the alarming rise in incidence of violence ahead of the September 19, 2020 gubernatorial election in the state, noting that voters will resist attempts by selfish politicians to subvert the will of the people at the poll.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to the purported emergence of a new speaker in Edo State House of Assembly at the private residence of one self-acclaimed politician in Benin; we are aware that this illegal act is to undermine and destabilise the political progression in Edo State as the gubernatorial election approaches.
“Therefore, as concerned citizens in Edo State, we humbly call for judicial interpretation to serve as panacea to the political imbroglio because the Speaker has since declared the seats of those members-elect vacant for deliberately absconding from duties. We are seriously worried over the unholy politicking laced with elementary gimmicks by desperate politicians to subvert the will of the people and reverse the gains recorded by the Obaseki-led government.”
Calling for a credible, violence-free election in Edo State, the group said: “We urge President Muhammadu Buhari, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure the conduct of a peaceful, free and credible election in Edo.”
