Edo polls: What I told security agencies — Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed what he told Inspector-General of Police in the runup to elections in Edo.

“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,” he said on Friday when the governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, visited him at the presidential villa in Abuja.

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Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last Saturday beat the Mr. President’s political platform, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in an election that was adjudged to be transparent to secure the second term as Edo state governor.

Speaking on the motive behind the visit to the President together with his deputy, Philip Shaibu, and other representatives of Edo people, the governor said: “We were privileged to meet with the President, essentially to express the gratitude of Edo People, myself and my deputy for the role for the conduct of gubernatorial elections in Edo State. He insisted that Nigeria should have proper elections, credible elections, free and fair elections and that is what happened.

“So, we are here in the Villa to show our profound gratitude and appreciation for this, which on the surface will look normal but the implications are very far reaching. Because, this is a seating president whose party was contesting an election and insisted that the right thing be done and a level playing field be created for contestants. By doing so, that singular action has deepened our democracy, far beyond what we can understand and imagine today.

“So, for that act alone, we felt we must come and say thank you. I am not just coming alone with my deputy, we came to say thank you with the representatives of Edo people – our senators, members of the House of Representatives, our senior citizens and party leaders.

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”.

The governor promised to unify Edo people, saying: “We will continue to try and heal the land. Fortunately, it doesn’t show that Edo people are divided. It shows essentially that Edo people have come together under one umbrella, that is what the election has shown.

While addressing the delegation from Edo State, President Buhari said that his single desire was to make sure that innocent Nigerians don’t suffer regardless of party affiliation.

President Buhari 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.”

He told his guests that “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 has lost some states in elections, he wishes to leave behind a political culture based on integrity.

He added jocularly that he was congratulating the Edo governor “reluctantly” because he defeated the candidate of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).