Group advises Ize-Iyamu to emulate Jonathan and accept defeat

A pressure group, Edo Youths Coalition, has urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the just-concluded governorship poll in Edo,

Secretary-General of the group, Mr Toju Igbene, made the call on Wednesday during a solidarity rally by members of the group at the secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Benin.

The group challenged Ize-Iyamu to emulate former President Goodluck Jonathan, who conceded defeat before the official declaration of his opponent, Muhammadu Buhari, as the winner of 2015 presidential poll.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on September 29, 2016 declared Godwin Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the winner of the governorship poll in the state conducted the preceding day.

Obaseki polled 319, 483 votes to defeat Ize-Iyamu, his closest rival, who got 253, 173 votes.

Members of the coalition displayed placards with such inscriptions as “God has upheld the will of the people’’, “There was no loss of life, no intimidation of anybody during the election’’ and “It is time for Edo people to look critically’’.

“Let us develop the spirit of sportsmanship; that is why we keep respecting Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

“He lost an election, and he was the first to put a call to Buhari to congratulate him. Let us develop that spirit; let us develop that culture,” Igbene said.

He described the outcome of the election as the will of the people and passed a vote of confidence on INEC and security agencies for their dedication to duty before, during and after the election.

He added that the poll was free, fair, credible and acceptable.

The group leader urged the governor-elect, Obaseki, to work assiduously to fulfil the promises made to the electorate during his campaign.