WITH barely four months to the conduct of September 22 governorship poll in Osun, the Speaker of the state legislature, Hon Najeem Salaam, on Monday tasked all stakeholders, including chieftains of political parties and aspirants to embrace peace during and after the election.
He maintained that it was imperative for political leaders, across the party lines not to place their interests and ambitions above the existing peace and enabling atmosphere in the state.
Salaam, who is one of the gubernatorial aspirants on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) gave the charge in a press statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Goke Butika, which was made available to the Tribune online in Osogbo, Osun State capital
The statement quoted the Speaker to have implored “politicians, particular aspirants for political offices to play responsible politics that guarantee peace and cross-fertilisation of ideas”.
Salaam, who addressed coordinators of his governorship campaign in Oshogbo, maintained that “hooliganism and political violence before, during and after the election could not attract any good to anyone.
It could only draw the wheel of development of the state back”.
According to the statement reads: “those who intend to govern Osun state should lay emphasis on peaceful coexistence among the people of the state. Osun is noted for peace and tranquillity that must not be traded for political violence.
All concerned stakeholders of APC should look inward on the issue of conventional zoning that has become a thorning issue in the state”, adding that “the party could not afford consequence of ditching the system that has become a political tradition”.
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“We, the concerned stakeholders in APC should save the party from itself by adhering to the age-long tradition of zoning system because the electorate are wiser now and may punish any party perceived to have wronged them in the political arrangement”.
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