Edo guber poll: I won’t govern on the blood of my people —Obaseki

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has said  he would not govern on the blood of his people.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos, on Sunday,  the APC governorship hopeful reiterated that he would rather not contest for governorship than to have many people killed in Edo State because of election.

Against the backdrop of the state  governorship  election, which was postponed from September 10 to 28, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr Obaseki said “we were ready for the elections, but when the police belatedly raised the issue of security, there was nothing we could do. I  will rather not be a governor than to have the blood of many people shed by miscreants that were imported into Edo State to cause havoc,” he said.

Citing the violence in Rivers State, Obaseki queried: “How many people have been tried or charged to court for the wanton killings and violence in Rivers State, let alone being convicted? How many people have been arrested for the blatant murder of the Port Harcourt lawyer? These  imported hoodlums have nothing to lose, they are not from Edo,   and would not think twice before killing our people the way they killed people in Rivers State,” he added.

Obaseki maintained that though it was disappointing for the election to have been postponed as the APC was coasting home to victory, the APC would  win the election convincingly any day or time, adding that the postponement was just a mere shift of the doomsday for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)and others.

“The people of Edo State have made up their minds never to go back to the dark era. They know me, they know the lineage of my family, they can trace me from four or five generations back, they know I don’t have a violent past, I have never been charged or tried for violent behaviour. Let me assure you that we will win the election and win hands-down,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Obaseki Campaign outfit has appealed to all APC members and supporters alike to remain steadfast and keep the peace, while also urging them to be vigilant and to await further directives.