Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari has called on candidates, political parties, and security agents to behave responsibly in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo.
President Buhari released a passionate message to voters, political parties, election officials and security personnel warning against what he described as “the do-or-die mentality to politics.”
The appeal of the President was made known in a press statement released by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Thursday.
He said; “I am passionately committed to free and fair elections, but my own commitment is not enough if other actors at ground zero refuse to abide by the rules.
”I want to see democratic standards in the country raised higher at every level, but these cannot be achieved when politicians resort to do-or- die methods to gain power by any means or machination.
“The do-or-die mentality to politics is a threat to free and fair elections because the actors are more focused on winning than caring about a fair outcome that reflects the will of the people.”
President Buhari advised all political parties and their candidates to respect law and order.
He also called on election officials and security agents “to remain neutral to ensure free and fair elections and avoid any action(s) capable of compromising the integrity of the elections.”
” Conducting free and fair elections is one of my main concerns for our democracy, and I want this commitment to be one of the legacies I will leave behind when I depart office,” he stated.
It will be recalled that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, and that of the Peoples Democratic Party, Godwin Obaseki, who are the main contenders, had signed a peace accord coordinated by Former Head of State, General Abdul-salaam Abukakar and Father Mattew Kukah of the Catholic Mission.
The election will hold this Saturday as fixed by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
