The national leadership of Labour Party (LP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to use the September 19 governorship election in Edo State as an avenue to set his government’s electoral reforms in motion.
Julius Abure, national secretary of the party, made the call on Saturday at a press briefing in Benin.
Abure, speaking on behalf of the party, called on President Buhari to ensure that next week’s governorship election in Edo State is free, fair and credible.
“There can never be democracy if the electoral processes are not free, fair and credible. If the election is free, fair and credible, Edo people will be the ultimate winners,” Abure said.
“The president will not lose anything if the Edo State governorship election is credible. We urge him to use the governorship election as a basis for his government’s electoral reform agenda,” he said.
Abure, who noted that the electoral processes in the country had been characterised with a lot of irregularities and frauds, added that the president will write his name in gold if Edo governorship election is used to kick-start the electoral reforms in the country.
Also speaking, the party’s governorship candidate, Isaiah Osifo, said Labour Party is the party to beat in the election.
He called on the electorate to use their permanent voter card wisely in electing a credible governor for the state.
Osifo, who said the party is not averse to alliance with any political party to actualise its electoral ambition, noted that it has a soft spot for the incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki, who is also the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate.
“Labour Party government in Edo State will be committed to social justice and ensure democratic governance of the people by the people and for the people,” Osifo said.
“We believe that the incumbent governor is doing well and wherever he is doing well we should not downplay it,” he added.
He appealed to the APC-led Federal Government, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all agencies responsible for the conduct of elections in the country to be on the side of the people of the state by ensuring the conduct of a peaceful, free and fair election.
The Labour Party governorship candidate said Edo people are morally conscious and that they should be allowed to enjoy the right of free choice.
