Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II
▪︎Proposes Six Years Single Term For Governors, President
The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, on Thursday, urged the governorship candidates in the Septemberc19 Edo election to imitate the former president, Goodluck Jonathan, who not only said his ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigerian but also conceded defeat in the 2015 presidential election, in other to avoid violence.
He spoke when he received in his Palace the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmoid Yakubu.
The Oba disclosed that plans were afoot to summon governorship candidates, particularly the two main contenders in the Edo State governorship election, Givernor Godwin Obaseki of PDP and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the APC for a meeting in the Palace.
He took the opportunity provided by the occasion to propose a single six-year term for presidents and governors in order to reduce tension and eschew violence associated with re-election of candidates.
He said one of the reasons why the single tenure hadn’t been was because most elected officers failed to perform, adding that if there were mechanisms to evaluate performance periodically during their tenures, they would sit up, perform their duties and it would go a long way in reducing the tension during polls.
According to him, “I am not an expert on political analysis. I want to speak on possible option to avoid the current situation in the future. if it is possible, you come up with six-year single tenure for elections.
“Assuming it is a single term of six years, appraisal will be done every two years, and if they don’t meet up to standard after the evaluation performance, they will face impeachment.
“I will do my best to invite the governorship candidate for this election, particularly the two gladiators. I will call Ize-iyamu and Obaseki to tell them we do not want violence, we want peace,” the Oba said.
The Benin Monarch who said no life was worth the election, appealed to Edo people to eschew election-related violence, and not sacrifice their lives for greedy politicians.
“All those who want to turn the state into a battleground, the law of Karma will visit them one by one,” he added.
Oba Ewuare II commended INEC for their diligent jobs, and prayed to God to assist the electoral body in performing their roles ahead of the governorship election.
Earlier, the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu expressed gratitude to the Oba of Benin for his kind gesture and assured the palace that Commission was ready for the election.
“INEC is not a political party. The choice of who becomes governor lies on the people,” he said.
In his remarks, Edo State Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, said they were collaborating with security agencies, particularly, Nigerian Navy, to ensure a violence-free election.
(With additional reports by Trace Reporters)
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