Don’t Shed Blood to Win Election, Politicians Urged

By Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

Ekiti indigenes in the United States have urged politicians to play by the rules and eschew any act that could lead to bloodshed in the July 14 election. The indigenes, under the auspices of Ekiti Coalition for Change, said politicians must think more about the future of the state and its development, rather than exhibiting bitterness in a way that can affect the lives of the populace adversely. They appealed to Ekiti people to vote massively for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Dr Kayode Fayemi, based on his track records and exemplary leadership as a former governor in the state.

In a statement made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday by its Coordinator, Mr. Samuel Ayodele , the group said politicians must think of the 1983 crisis and the one of 2009 during rerun elections. Ayodele described election as a civil matter that should be undertaken under a peaceful atmosphere, advising that this election should not be allowed to slide into anarchy or deviate from the international best practices . The group appealed to the commissioner of Police, Mr Ahmed Bello, and the Director of Department of State Security, Mrs Promise Ihenacho, to ensure adequate security during the electioneering campaigns and manage the situations in the most professional way in the interest of peace. “As concerned Ekiti indigenes, we appeal to security agencies not to take side in this election.

They must be professional and the moment politicians notice that they are neutral, they will naturally comply with the extant rules guiding the game. “Let me also tell our politicians not to see the game as a do or die affair, they must think about peaceful co-existence among Ekiti residents than their own survival in this election. “The political crises of 1983 rendered many homeless as property worth several millions were destroyed. Some suddenly became widows and some childless due to election that was meant to elect just an individual. “That is why it is imperative that we must all be circumspect in our actions and utterances. We must guard against hate speeches and brigandage, because there will surely be Ekiti after this election”, he said.

Making strong case for the candidate of the APC in the election, Dr. Fayemi, Ayodele said the party still remain the best that can rescue the highly dejected people of Ekiti from distress, under the present circumstance. “If you look at the Social Security Scheme of Fayemi’s administration, poor elder statesmen were given N5,000 monthly stipends, one would understand that this is still very relevant to actions being taken to reduce poverty in Ekiti. “The Youth in Agriculture programme , where over 1,500 were engaged in farming are also very relevant , because Ekiti being an agrarian society must go beyond subsistence means in ensuring that we assume food security status,” he added.