A former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) John Oyegun has urged Edo people to “vote your conscience”, refusing to align himself with the party’s candidate for the governorship election Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
Mr Ize-Iyamu goes head-to-head with Governor Godwin Obaseki, who was forced out of the APC, on September 19.
Oyegun in a statement on Monday said he advised against the mistreatment of Obaseki, calling on the people to vote for good governance.
“My views and statements on the Edo state political situation have been consistent. I strongly advised against the mistreatment of Governor Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki by the late unlamented National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC. Governor Obaseki stood bravely for the dignity and pride of his people and in the process suffered unacceptable indignities,” he said.
“In the matter of who governs Edo State, the people are sovereign and no individual or group of people, whatever their status, can decide on their behalf.
“I stand with the people of Edo State and urge them to come out massively to exercise their democratic rights. They should vote for good governance, common decency, principled leadership, especially in the political arena and the protection of their democratic rights.
“They should by their votes make clear that it is their right to choose their governor and nobody else’s. There is no room for fence-sitters. This is a special situation and primitive loyalties should and must be set aside. Remember Mr President’s admonition in an equally challenging pre-election situation in Imo State, ‘vote your conscience.’”
