Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
Candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the recent governorship election in Edo state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has appealed for calm among his supporters.
Pastor Ize-Iyamu who lost to Godwin Obaseki of APC in the Edo governorship election, made the appeal in a media broadcast yesterday, also thanked his supporters for turning out during the election.
He said “Though we have our doubts about the results as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC, I appreciate your massive turn out which is unprecedented in the history of governorship elections in our state. You defied all fears and threats and turned out to vote the candidate of your choice”.
According to him, “There is no doubt that the results declared by INEC give all of us cause for concern. For example the so-called winner of the elections was credited with less than 320, 000 votes while I who INEC claimed lost, was credited with less than 300, 000 votes. This is not true. The results expose the fraud orchestrated by INEC. The incident was nothing short of pre-arranged allocation of votes. That is why despite the so-called victory, we are all witnesses to the gloom and sadness that has enveloped the state ever since.
More than the results of the elections, I thank God that no life was lost before and during the elections, despite all plans by certain political parties. This was our prayer to God that no life should be lost in the course of the elections”.
With the situation the party finds itself, he declared that the party has many options namely: going to the tribunal, call a World Press Conference to let the world know what transpired, or leave everything to God.
Appeal to all who feel dissatisfied not to take the laws into your hands or engage in violent demonstrations or destruction of public property,
He said, “No matter how you feel, please conduct yourselves in civilized manner because the will of God must prevail. If God says I, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, will be governor, no amount of rigging can stop it. So we must keep hope alive. Let us continue to hope and believe in our country.
“I thank you for the confidence you reposed in me and my running mate, Hon John Yakubu. I believe that democracy remains the best option for us as a people despite all its imperfections. I also believe that we must remain committed to getting it right as a people and a nation. I still say the future is now. I salute you and I appreciate your courage. God bless Edo state. And God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, he added.
