Gov. Godwin Obaseki, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Edo has urged all eligible voters in the state to ensure they turn out on election day to cast their votes.
The governor said low turnout of eligible voters on election day was responsible for Oredo Local Government Area of the state’s loss of its political value.
Obaseki stated this while addressing a crowd of PDP supporters in Ward 6 and Ward 7 of Oredo on Saturday in Benin.
According to him, the major challenge is that on election day many of us don’t come out to vote.
“In this Ward 6 and Ward 7 we have almost 50,000 registered voters here, but we don’t have 15,000 on election day.
“So, opposition thinks we don’t have power, they think we don’t have political value, this has been the norm, so in this election I want us to change this narrative.
“Because you don’t come out to vote massively on election day, they think you don’t have power. The opposition thinks they are political champions.
“They said I did not win my unit and ward, but if all registered, eligible voters, come out and vote, they won’t be able to say so.
“In this Sept. 19, gubernatorial election, it’s between me and the opposition. I want to prove them wrong that the people are with me and my Deputy, Philip Shaibu.
“The same way the opposition is treating me in Oredo is the same way it is treating my deputy in Etsako.
“The infrastructural development on ground is more than the ones we had before, but one thing I know is that thuggery will not return.
“One thing I know is that collection of Certificates of Occupancy less than 24 hours without any harassment will remain.
“Training and prompt payment of teachers’ salaries will not be stopped by anybody.
“Our teachers are digital now, they now train our children with computers, unlike in the past.
“All this I promise to continue doing can only be actualised by our producing more votes.
“So, go from door to door, call your neighbours that there is need to vote massively in this election,” he said.
Earlier, the Senator representing Edo South, Sen. Matthew Urhoghide, said that it was a tradition to reelect any governor who had done well, and the people would renew his mandate.
Urhoghide said that nobody could stop the reelection of Gov. Obaseki, saying the people are for him.
He said that the people of Oredo should take the election as a challenge by voting massively for PDP. (NAN)