President Muhammadu Buhari has revealed what he told the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu before the September 19 governorship election in Edo State.
Speaking during a ‘Thank You’ visit of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state to the President in Abuja on Friday, Buhari said he told the IGP and other heads of security agencies to ensure that the election was free and fair.
According to the President, he did this because he did not want “innocent Nigerians” to suffer, irrespective of party affiliation.
He 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 Nigerian interests whether I like it or not, but my single desire is to make sure that innocent people don’t suffer,” he said.
“That message I got across to the Inspector General of Police, that elections must be free and fair. 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.
“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.”
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The President said he was 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’s what I have been insisting as my contribution to the National Working Committee 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 hard work and through fair competition,” he added.
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