Why I insisted on free, fair election in Edo – Buhari
President Buhari<br />received a Courtesy visit from Edo State Governor Obaseki<br />at State House, Abuja.
• I Will Lose Integrity If I Return To APC, Obaseki Insists
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his insistence on free and fair election in last Saturday's governorship election in Edo State was informed by his desire to ensure that innocent Nigerians do not suffer, regardless of party affiliation.
Speaking yesterday when re-elected Governor Godwin Obaseki led his Deputy, Philip Shuaibu, and other party supporters to the State House on a thank you visit, Buhari said: "I thank you for bringing your deputy and supporters to come and see me after beating my party.
"I am supposed to preside over all Nigerians' interests, whether I like it or not, but my single desire is to make sure that innocent people don't suffer. That message I got across to the Inspector General of Police, that elections must be free and fair."
According to the President: "If contestants have too much money and they decide to spray, so be it. But what I insist is, nobody should go and raise a counter-force to the government, arm heavily-drugged thugs to go and humiliate people.
"I want Nigerians to appreciate that I respect them as Nigerians and that I am bound by the oath I have taken, that their security is in the hands of God and in the hands of the government, which I am leading."
Buhari noted that as leader of the governing party, and despite the fact that the party has lost some states in past elections, he wishes to leave behind a political culture based on integrity, adding: "We have lost states across the country. Now I do not like to escape the responsibility, seeing as the leader of the country, I am also the leader of my party, that I am not leading the party very well.
"I am trying to make sure that the party is built on a civilised basis, rule of law and respect for human rights and human beings, right from polling units to local governments to states up to Abuja, and that is what I have been insisting as my contribution to the National Working Committee (NWC) and executive of the party.
"I know we are a developing country, a developing economy and trying to develop our political culture. I want the development of political culture to be based on integrity and accountability. Let people work very hard and earn what they are looking for through their hardwork and fair competition." He added, jocularly, that he was congratulating Obaseki "reluctantly," because he defeated the candidate of his All Progressives Congress (APC).
In his remark, Obaseki thanked the President for ensuring that fair play reigned during the election, noting: "You would recall a couple of weeks before the election, I came to see you and you assured me that we were going to have a free, peaceful and credible election. That was what we had during the election of September 19 and the whole world has acclaimed that Edo election was perhaps one of the best conducted in recent times in Nigeria.
"This could not have been possible without your insistence that the right things be done, and for that, we want to say thank you very much."He also commended the President for his congratulatory message, assuring him that the message has been internalised, adding: "It is God that made this election possible. Therefore, I should be humble about the election and also magnanimous in victory."
He pledged his loyalty and support and that of the people of Edo State to the President and the Federal Government.Obaseki, who dumped the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), following his disqualification from the party's primary election, while fielding questions from State House Correspondents after the meeting with Buhari, dismissed insinuations that he was set to leave the PDP for the APC, which he said would amount to going against the President's gospel of integrity.
The governor affirmed that he would lose his integrity if he returned to the APC. He said he was not disposed to replacing former APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, as the new godfather of Edo politics, adding: "I should be dealt with accordingly," if he attempts to do so.
"This (yesterday) morning, we were privileged to meet with the President, essentially to express the gratitude of Edo people, myself and my deputy for his role in the conduct of the election. He insisted that Nigeria should have proper, credible, free and fair elections, and that was what happened.
"So, this morning, we are in the Villa to show our profound gratitude and appreciation for this, which on the surface will look normal, but the implications are very far reaching, because this is a sitting President whose party was contesting an election and who insisted that the right things be done and a level playing field be created for contestants.
"By that singular action, he has deepened our democracy far beyond what we can understand and imagine today. For that act alone, we felt we must come and say thank you. I am not just coming alone with my deputy; we came to say thank you with the representatives of Edo people, including our senators, members of the House of Representatives, senior citizens and party leaders.
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