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A rights group, Rising-Up for a United Nigeria (RUN), has counseled the Edo State Governor-Elect, Senator Okpebholo Monday to model his administration after the legendary political careers of, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
President Tinubu, a Senator and past Executive Governor of Lagos State is widely considered by many as the architect of modern Lagos having laid a solid foundation with a workable blueprint that has been followed by successive administrations.
In the same vein, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the current Senate President and past Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State has also distinguished himself as the father of modern Akwa Ibom having developed its infrastructure to unprecedented heights and opened the state to international investments, tourism and commerce through legacy projects like the Nest of Champions Stadium, Ibom Air, world class infrastructure and several other human capital development projects.
Speaking on Radio Nigeria on the outcome of the 2024 Edo governorship election, the Coordinator of RUN, Ambassador Solomon Adodo, congratulated Senator Okpebholo Monday on his well deserved victory and urged him to tow the line of these true heroes of our democracy and create a new Edo State that will be the envy of other states and the pride of Edo people and Nigerians at large.
“Even as we send our hearty congratulations and the assurances of our highest cooperation, we believe your ascendence to power is a divine work and you will deliver exceedingly especially that you have won elections under a Party that has a well tailored ideology and credible political stalwarts you can learn from.
“It is indeed not a mistake that you won elections at a time when heavyweights like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Godswill Akpabio are dexterously manning the Executive and Legislative arms of government respectively. Their stellar antecedents in the annals of our nation’s leadership while they served as Governors respectively continue to attract global acclaim till this day. Your synergy and cooperation with them will give your adminstration direction and purpose and we are certain you will not fail to seize this opportunity.
“Edo people have suffered years of bad governance, abuse of power, corruption, insecurity and a host of other challenges but for the short period when Comrade Adams Oshiomhole began reforms. Take a cue from what Tinubu did to Lagos and what Akpabio did to Akwa Ibom and work towards delivering on the challenges so that Edo people will be glad they voted you. You are next in line to become the father of modern Edo State. Congratulations once again,” the statement stated.
RUN was specifically full of gratitude to the Senate President for seeing through a thorough campaign that ensured seamless victory while also applauding erstwhile Governor Adams Oshiomholo for being a firm pillar of support and nurturing Senator Okpebholo’s victory.
RUN also hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting a credible, fair and transparent election in Edo State, adding that Nigerians should rather applaud INEC and desist from blind and unrealistic criticisms.
“INEC has come a long way and we are proud of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and his team. The success of the Edo polls has shown that our electoral process is maturing and very soon, we shall begin to have hitch free elections devoid of human and technological errors. The fact that the Edo polls were transparent and technologically driven has eased the burden of trust that pervaded previous elections.
“However, we are saddened by the antics of desperate politicians and their cohorts who are always working towards discrediting INEC and our electoral process. As patriotic Nigerians, we must reject their plots outrightly and cooperate maximally with the electoral body so that Nigerian votes will always count”, the statement concluded.
RUN is a frontline Civil Society Organisation (CSO) with a passion for good governance and policy reforms in Nigeria.
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