I won’t return to APC – Obaseki
What I told security agencies – Buhari
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has said he would not consider any plan to return to the All Progressives Congress (APC) after his re-election on September 19.
Obaseki, who spoke yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after meeting President Buhari Muhammadu, said such move would not portray him as a man of integrity.
The governor explained that his decision not to rejoin the APC was in tune with the pledge of President Buhari to leave a democracy built on integrity, accountability and hard work.
Obaseki, while reacting to a question on whether he would consider returning to the APC, said: “The answer to your question, gleaning from the comments of Mr. President, he said he wants to leave a democracy that is built on integrity, accountability and hard work.
“Those were his words and I subscribe totally to that. It will not show integrity, it will not demonstrate somebody that has ethical or moral foundation to do what you asked about. I couldn’t have contested on a party, won on that party and then consider moving to another party. It is not the kind of thing to do, it’s not the right thing to do and I am sure you will not encourage me to do that.”
Obaseki, while speaking on the motive behind the visit to the president together with his deputy, Philip Shaibu and other representatives of Edo people, said: “We were privileged to meet with the president, essentially to express the gratitude of Edo People, myself and my deputy for the conduct of the gubernatorial election in Edo State.”
“He said Nigeria should have proper elections, credible elections, free and fair elections and that is what happened.”
Obaseki, who prayed against being a “godfather,” said “it’s dangerous to the concept of democracy.”
He stressed that it would be worse than military rule when people who had no checks and balances “arbitrarily decide the way the constitution should be interpreted or constitutional players should operate.”
Addressing the delegation from Edo State, President Buhari said his single desire was to make sure that innocent Nigerians don’t suffer regardless of party affiliation.
He said: “I thank you for bringing your deputy and supporters to come and see me after beating my party. I am supposed to preside over all Nigerian interests whether I like it or not, but my single desire is to make sure that innocent people don’t suffer. That message I got across to the Inspector General of Police, that elections must be free and fair.”
According to the President, “If contestants have too much money and they decide to spray, so be it. But what I insist is, nobody should go and raise a counter force to the government, arm heavily-drugged thugs to go and humiliate people.”
“I want Nigerians to appreciate that I respect them as Nigerians and that I am bound by the oath I have taken that their security is in the hands of God and in the hands of the government, which I am leading.”
President Buhari noted that as the leader of the governing party, and despite the fact that the party had lost some states in elections, he wished to leave behind a political culture based on integrity.