Why l insisted on free, fair election in Edo — Buhari 

President Muhammadu Buhari said on Friday that he ensured free and fair election in the September 19 gubernatorial election in Edo State out of respect for Nigerians and his oath of office.

“I want Nigerians to appreciate that l respect them and that l’m bound by the oath l took that their security is in the hands of God and in the hands of the government which l’m leading,” Buhari said when he received Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Persecondnews reports that Obaseki had led the Deputy Governor Philip Shuaibu and other party members to the State House on a thank-you-visit.

Buhari said that his single desire was to ensure that innocent Nigerians did not suffer regardless of party affiliation.

“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.

“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,”  the president said in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina.

“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,” he stressed.

Buhari noted that as the leader of the governing party, and despite the fact that the party had lost some states in previous elections, he wished to leave behind a political culture based on integrity.

“We have lost states across the country. Now I do not like to escape the responsibility, seeing as the leader of the country, I am also the leader of my party, that I am not leading the party very well.

“I am trying to make sure that the party is built on a civilised basis, rule of law and respect for human rights and human beings, right from polling units to local governments, to states up to Abuja and that is what I have been insisting as my contribution to the National Working Committee and executive of the party.

“I know we are a developing country, a developing economy and trying to develop our political culture. I want the development of political culture to be based on integrity and accountability.

“Let people work very hard and earn what they are looking for through their hard work and through fair competition,” the president said.

Buhari said jocularly that he was congratulating the Edo governor “reluctantly” because he defeated the candidate of his party, the All Progressives Congress.

In his remarks, Obaseki thanked the President for ensuring that fair play reigned during the election which saw him victorious.

“You would recall a couple of weeks before the election, I came to see you and you assured me that we were going to have a free, peaceful and credible election.

” That is what we had during the election of 19th September and the whole world has acclaimed that Edo election was perhaps one of the best conducted in recent times in Nigeria. This could not have been possible without your insistence that the right things be done, and for that, we want to say thank you very much.”

He also thanked the President for his congratulatory message, assuring him that the message “has been internalised, that it is God that made this election possible, therefore I should be humble about the election and also magnanimous in victory.”

Obaseki pledged his unalloyed loyalty and support and that of the people of Edo State to the President and the Federal Government.