Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Factional Publicity Secretary of the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, Pastor Osagiede Joseph, has said that the forthcoming governorship election in the state does not worth the blood of the citizens of the state.
He stated this while briefing newsmen on the format of the forthcoming one-day prayer and fasting for peace declared by the party in the state.
Osagiede said the crisis that has bedeviled the party and the state in the past few weeks, can only be ended when citizens of the state join their voices in prayers to God.
“We are calling for this prayer and fasting in view of the activities that have been taking place in this state in the past few weeks where we have had a series of crisis and some forms of bombings and attacks on some individuals.
“We don’t want a continuation of that. We believe that the governorship seat or the governorship tussle is not worth the blood of anybody – it is not worth the blood of any Edo person.
“We are calling on all and sundry to join in this one-day fasting tomorrow, today Friday, the 21st February, 2020 to pray to God that there should be peace in Nigeria and that there should be peace in Edo state,” Osagiede said.
He explained that the reason peace must be pursued to the letter is that no meaningful development can be achieved in an atmosphere of rancour.
He also said that though the one-day fasting and prayer is to pray for peace; it is also to thank God for giving the state a corrupt-free governor who has not been accused of any corrupt practices.
“Furthermore, we are to thank God for giving us a corrupt-free and articulate masses-oriented leader in the person of Governor Godwin Obaseki.
“Even his enemies, his detractors have not accused him of corruption and that is a big plus.
“If a man is ruling and you don’t accuse him of corruption, so you don’t have any right to be troubling him particularly when those who are accusing him cannot be said to be corrupt-free,” he said, noting that the prayer has the capacity to touch and change the hearts of those fanning the embers of crisis in the state.