By: Lucky Isibor
The Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II has called on politicians in Edo State to make sacrifice to attain peace ahead of the governorship election slated for 29 September. Oba Ewuare II who deplored the various acts of violence trailing the governorship campaigns thus far gave the admonition while receiving the candidate of the National Rescue Movement NRM, Stevie Ozono in his palace on Wednesday.
While urging politicians to show good example for their followers to emulate, Oba Ewuare II noted that the Palace has been praying to God and the ancestors for peace during the election and will continue to pray for peace to reign during the election.
On his part, the NRM governorship candidate, Stevie Nash Ozono said he is targeting those registered voters who have not been voting since the inception of the present democratic dispensation because of lack of confidence in the system, urging them to come out and vote his party and assured that he would use their votes to change the narratives.
“So many people are angry out there. We are looking for people that are angry and don’t want to vote for the two parties, the hanging voters, please look for us and vote. Make sure you see us as the third party that is going to take over, if we don’t take over, then we would continue to suffer what we are suffering today. So many people are out there telling us they are afraid, they don’t want to come out and say anything, they even keep their vote, for ten years they’ve not even voted. But for our involvement now they’re ready to come out to vote and this is what we want, to come out and be assured that their children have a future. Please look for that logo, the bee and put your thumb on it and let’s make this happen as a change.”
Also speaking, the Edo State chairman of NRM, Sam Arase appealed to the candidates of the two major political parties to stop heating up the polity just as he appealed to Edo people to vote the party’s candidate in the 19 September governorship election assuring that he will change things for the better.
“We know how our brothers are over heating the polity in Edo, but we as members of the rescue party, we have decided to go on a peaceful mission to ensure every where is calm come 19 September, the date fixed for Edo State gubernatorial election. I want to thank the followers of this great party, I want to thank our gubernatorial candidate, Steve ozono with his agenda to transform this state to a better place for us. An enabling environment that will create more job opportunities, that will put food on the table of the teeming masses of this nation, especially Edo State where hunger and squalor are becoming the order of the day. It’s not everybody that’s opportune to get three square meals now because of the way they are governing us”, he said.
On his part, the Director- General of the NRM Governorship Campaign Council, Mr. Olushola assured that the NRM will put in efforts to enhance the peace building machinery put in place by the Benin Royal Palace such that the peace in the state after the election will be likened to the calmness of the sea.
“We are here to tell His Royal Majesty that we are in support of the peace in the land, we are not in any way going to truncate that peace. After the election, because we in the National Rescue Movement are involved in this election, we want the peace that will be in Edo State after the election to be likened to the calmness of the sea”, he assured.
