From Kayemo News
A ranking member of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Bamisile, has urged politicians from opposition’s enclave to irrevocably commit themselves to violence-free election, as demonstrated by Governor Biodun Oyebanji in the June 20 governorship poll.
Bamisile said Governor Oyebanji, had openly canvassed against politics with bitterness and crisis- ridden poll at different fora, saying his opponents in the coming election must also key into such agenda in the interest of peace and the larger populace.
Governor Oyebanji, had at a programme held in Obafemi Awolowo University, on Thursday, stated that politics with bitterness will only endanger democracy, thereby recommitting himself to free and fair election in the forthcoming Ekiti gubernatorial election, when he will be standing for reelection.
Commending Oyebanji’s stand in a statement released through his Media Office in Abuja, on Friday, Bamisile said such reassuring rhetorics are needed from those holding leadership positions during elections to deescalate tensions and crises.
He said rather than for leaders and those holding pivotal positions to perceive election as a warfare or do-or- die contest, that it should be seen as demonstration of civil rights by the citizens, who should by legal and constitutional instruments enjoy the liberty to freely choose whoever they want.
“Let me commend Governor Oyebanji for again restating his commitment to politics without bitterness and violence free election.
“This coming from a leader who is seeking reelection showed that Ekiti will be peaceful before , during and after the June 20 election. We are no longer in the era of do or die in Ekiti as experienced in the past.
“Today, Ekiti is lucky to have a leader who believes in the sovereignty of the citizens. A leader who believes election should be a civil matter and not war.
“The governor even believed that the winner takes all syndrome is not good for our polity, which further substantiated his readiness to accommodate the opposition members even in his cabinet, if he gets a second term.
“He has demonstrated this in his current cabinet where many opposition members were offered appointments up to cabinet rank.
“Under this context, the opposition members who are social media platforms hurling insults at the governor and members of the ruling party should disembark and embrace the olive branch and peace entreaties being spread to them by our governor, in the overall interest of all of us as Ekiti citizens”.
Bamisile also praised the APC members and Ekiti citizens for participating aggressively in the e-registration exercise being midwifed by the party nationwide.
“Going by statistics released by the coordinator of the registration exercise, Ekiti APC had captured close to 100,000 membership within two and half weeks of the programme, despite the initial technical hitches.
“This further attested to the fact that the APC is not only a ruling party, but the most acceptable to Ekiti electorate”, Bamisile said.