By Yusuf Alli, Abuja
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, on Thursday asked security agencies and the Nigeria Police Force to unmask the identities of the suspects arrested in connection with campaign violence.
He said he would not perpetrate violence to win the governorship election because he was not desperate for the office.
Ize-Iyamu alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is trying to raise false alarm to scare voters from coming out on September 19, in order to write results.
He said the APC would win in the 18 local governments.
Ize-Iyamu, who spoke at an interactive session with the media in Abuja, said he was worried that PDP had been perpetrating violence but the suspects had not been unmasked.
He said: “There are worries. I have had cause to complain about the destruction of my billboards. I reported to the police and the Department of State Security Service, but nothing happened.
“What I find more worrisome is the violence the PDP and its supporters perpetrated and put the blame on the doorsteps of the APC.
“I appeal to security agencies to arrest those involved in this violence. Let the security agencies disclose the names of suspects that have been arrested, including some of those who have been taken to Abuja.
“If Governor Godwin Obaseki enjoys immunity, his supporters do not enjoy immunity. The security agencies should release the list of those that have been arrested for violence.
“What they (PDP and supporters) are trying to do is to raise the alarm so that our people won’t come out en masse to vote in order to go and write results. Our people should not be frightened; they should come out to vote.
“We will win in the 18 local governments. On what basis are we going to resort to violence?
“Our campaign has been issue-based. We have a SIMPLE agenda, which we are selling to the people of Edo State. We will not engage in violence.”
Asked what will be his attitude if he wins or loses the poll, Ize-Iyamu said he will not engage in violence.
He added: “For me, a man who really wants to serve cannot be desperate to get into office. I am not desperate to be a governor, it is not compulsory to be a governor. My main purpose to be in government is to serve the people of Edo State to the best of my ability.
“I want to assure you that if I lose the election, the worst that will happen is to go to court. I will not resort to violence.”
On the tenure of Obaseki, the APC candidate rated his performance low.
He said: “There is no way we cannot talk about the stewardship of the incumbent governor because we want to replace him. We must talk about the performance of the governor even if he is not contesting.
“I believe that he has not done well compared to the resources available to him in the last four years and compared to his promises, which were not written.
“Obaseki said he would establish primary health care centres in the 192 wards in the state, but at the end of four years, he has not been able to build up to 22.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has done his best to strengthen security nationwide, but Edo State Government is not complementing him. Instead, the state government is giving excuse that security is in the hands of the Federal Government. We are now experiencing high level of insecurity. In the absence of support for the police and other security agencies by the Edo State Government, there can be no security.
“We don’t want Edo State that is backward, we want Edo State that can compete among the best.”
