Oyo 2015 election between peace, violence - Ajimobi

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has said that the choice before the people of the state on the forthcoming elections was between peace and violence.

While he said his administration epitomise peace, Ajimobi claimed that his opponent represents violence.

The governor stated this during his New Year state-wide broadcast to the people of the state.

Ajimobi acknowledged his government’s efforts at instilling peace in the state in the last three and a half years and sustaining it, uring the people of the state not to forget the past few years before his administration came on board.


``We know what the order of the day was in our state between 2003 and 2011. The choice before us today, my dear people of Oyo State, is between peace and violence. We hold the key to determine where our immediate future goes and we must use it wisely,’’ he said.

The governor said he believed in the safety of lives of our people and that this had been demonstrated vividly.

``We believe that you can only improve the lives of the people that are alive. It will be unforgivable for anyone to claim to love the people and still shed their blood with impunity,’’ he added.

Quoting prophets, diviners and bookmakers, he said that 2015  would be a year of bloodshed, sorrow, tears and pain for Nigeria.

``In Oyo State, we do not need anyone to tell us that the prophecies of bloodshed and sorrow are not just metaphysics. They have in them ingredients of truth and reality. In the last three and a half years or so of our government, we have successfully tamed the Devils on assignment of bloodshed. We have demonstrated that a good government must not allow violence, thuggery and the killings of its people,’’ he said.

Ajimobi appealed to all candidates aspiring to lead the people of the state to engage in issue-based political campaigns, adding "we should eschew violence, brigandage and thuggery. A good leader protects and promotes the welfare of his people and not destroys or kills them."

While felicitating with the people of the state for witnessing the New Year, he expressed the confidence that the state would never backslide into ``an Oyo State of chaos, thuggery and violence’’.