BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has warned opposition parties against political violence ahead of July 16, governorship election in the state.
Oyetola said that his administration would no longer tolerate the repeat of an attack on journalists as well as his party supporters by an opposition party which occurred during his campaign in Gbongan town last week.
The governor said this during a meeting organised by the Osun Civic Engagement Office with members of Nigeria Professional Photographers and Videographers Association, Osun Chapter, on Sunday in Osogbo.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Civic Engagement, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the governor urged the opposition parties to play the game of politics according to the rules of the game.
He said, “I want to say this, very important, I want the opposition parties to, please, play the game according to the rules.
“I don’t want any violence in Osun. We are a peace loving state. We are seen to be one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria. I don’t want anything that will affect the peace of our state. Do your campaign as expected. The incident in Gbongan will never be tolerated again.
“We have been going about doing our campaigns peacefully. I expect the opposition parties to emulate our peaceful campaign across the state. There must be no reason for any violence when it comes to campaign or the election itself,” the governor added.
Oyetola, however, said that the All Progressives Congress was fully prepared to win the election, adding that APC is the party to beat anytime, any day.
The governor, who noted that his administration would not relent in giving the best to the masses, said much undeniable work had been done in the last three and half years to move the state forward.
The governor said that his administration has embarked on socioeconomic and infrastructure development of the state through remarkable impacts in people-oriented governance agenda.
Oyetola said that has made him geared towards building an enduring economy, where people’s wellbeing and pursuit of happiness would become the hallmark of development.
He said, “In every polity, there exists an inextricable link between economic sustenance and human capacity development. This is why no responsible government can sit idle without engaging its people productively in all forms of commercial and industrial activities.
“And this is because human resource remains the hub around which sustainable development can be fostered. I sincerely appreciate the people of the state for their support for us in the state, but you need to show more of this support in the coming election.
“As you know, I always protect your interest and this is obvious in all our developmental programmes and projects across the state.”
The governor, however, commended members of the association for supporting his administration and promised that he would continue to provide an enabling environment for their businesses. He appealed to the electorate, who are yet to get their Permanent Voter Cards to get it so as to support him and APC in winning the election.
