Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has declared the September 21 governorship election a “do-or-die” affair, warning that the poll must not be rigged.
Obaseki made the call as the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ilia Damagun, vowed that party members would defend their votes “with blood.”
Obaseki and Damagun spoke on Saturday during the grand finale of the PDP’s campaign for its governorship candidate in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo.
Twelve PDP governors and the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, attended the event.
Speaking at the rally which was held at Garrick Memorial Secondary School in Benin, Obaseki described the election as an existential threat, stating, “This election is do or die. If they do, we will die.”
The Edo PDP had refused to sign the peace accord on Thursday, citing the “illegal arrest and detention” of its members as the reason.
Both the PDP and APC have been accusing each other of inciting violence and engaging in vote-buying ahead of the election.
Echoing the party’s stance, Damagun said the APC could only win Edo State through violence and intimidation, but the PDP would resist such attempts.
Damagun declared that the opposition would need to kill or arrest all PDP members to win the election.
The PDP chairman also warned the Independent National Electoral Commission against announcing election results at night, threatening that the party members would defend their votes with their blood.
He emphasised that the election would serve as a test for Nigeria’s democracy, urging people to pay close attention to the state.
Damagun stated, “You have to kill or arrest all of us if you want to take this state. You may have gangs, but we have God.
“To INEC, we don’t want midnight result announcements. It is not a threat, but we will defend our votes with our blood.
“We urge Nigerians to focus on the state, and we promise that the PDP will continue to provide good governance in Edo State.”
Damagun later presented what he referred to as “the flag of victory” to Ighodalo, the PDP’s governorship candidate.
Addressing the crowd, Ighodalo promised to take Edo to the next level, stating that Obaseki had already laid a solid foundation for the state.
He also pledged to run a transparent government with integrity, expressing confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s assurance that the election would be free and fair.
“My desire is to take the state to the next level as Governor Obaseki has already built a solid foundation for its development. My government will be transparent. I will also govern with integrity.
“I believe that the election will be free and fair, as promised by Governor Obaseki and President Tinubu. I urge the people to come out in large numbers to vote for the PDP next Saturday.”
