Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has described the re-election of President Muhammad Buhari as the watershed moment of the 2019 general elections.
Bello who stated this in a broadcast yesterday, in Lokoja, also thanked the people for their massive turnout and peaceful conduct during the presidential and national assembly elections, noting that it demonstrates commitment to the democratic process characterised by free and fair elections.
“We as government have done our best to complement your aspirations by placing the credibility and integrity of the electoral system above any desires to win every contested seat, and by all available means”, he stressed.
He further stated that “Despite initial teething pains and some malignancy in the campaigns, we did our best to provide the succour and conducive atmosphere needed by our people to exercise their franchise freely”.
According to number one citizen of Kogi State, “the good people of Kogi State spoke loud and clear that despite any shortcomings, government at state and federal levels have acted substantially in line with their mandate. vox populi, vox dei (The voice of the people is the voice of God). Our people have resoundingly insisted that while change must now make way for progress, the All Progressives Congress (APC) still remains their preferred driver for the journey ahead’’.
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“As a government, we have been forced to function with only one federal legislator in the entire state, so the outcome of these elections is a great victory and a precious gift to us by you. By your votes, you have improved our abilities to function well as a government by giving us a majority of the elected federal legislators. It will now be easier for what belongs to us to be harnessed in Abuja and brought home for the benefit of our communities.”
The governor expressed sadness over some skirmishes during the elections. He said, “I am saddened by the pockets of violence which marred the elections in some constituencies and led to loss of lives and properties. I am particularly pained by the death of Mr. Daniel Usman who came out to exercise his civic duty to vote only to have his life cut short by a stray bullet at Anyigba.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and to all those who may have suffered unjustly in any other manner.
“As we prepare for the State Assembly elections on March 9, we again urge our people to troop out en masse and cast their votes. It will help the conduct of government business greatly if our people can also help us again by voting people at all state constituencies who will not delay or derail the business of government with unnecessary party politics. Nevertheless, we reiterate that our primary commitment is for everyone to come out and vote.
The ball is once again in our court to reciprocate this vote of confidence with good governance. While it is true that not all the seeds of reforms which we have planted has matured, we undertake to make sure that the hard farming season now makes way gradually for the seasons of harvest and plenty.”
