Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has congratulated Ayo Fayose, the governor-elect of Ekiti State on his victory at the polls, reminding him that he owes the people of Ekiti the duty of keeping his campaign promises to them and building on the achievements of his predecessor.
In a statement issued by the NLC President, Abdulwahed Omar on Tuesday, the union described as “heart-warming” the promise by Fayose, to work with the incumbent governor from opposition All Progressives Party (APC) Dr Fayemi to move the state forward.
“We also wish to congratulate the out-going Governor, Dr John Kayode Fayemi for accepting the verdict of the people without contesting it,” Omar said.
“He displayed uncommon courage and statesmanship by not only accepting defeat but by promptly congratulating his opponent without fuss. We believe this remarkable conduct is inspiring and marks the beginning of a new era in our polity. We therefore urge our politicians to emulate Dr Fayemi, as we cannot be winners all the time.”
Omar also commended the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting a free and fair election, against all expectations.
“We urge INEC to build on this as credible elections are at the root of viable democracies. In furtherance of this, all necessary effort should be made to enable INEC deliver on its mandate to the people,” he said.
He further attributed the successful conclusion of the governorship election in the state to the peaceful and orderly conduct of the electorate. He advised that militarisation of election zones should be deemphasised so that electoral process would be carried out as a civil exercise, since it has been made obvious that the electorate is not the cause of electoral violence.
“In our pre-election statement, we had observed that the heavy presence of security agents, including the military before and during the election had the potential for creating unnecessary tension within and outside the state, and could therefore be counterproductive,” Omar noted.
The NLC president applauded all the people of Ekiti State for their patience, perseverance and peaceful conduct which he noted contributed largely to the success of the election.
“We do hope this will encourage all Nigerians as we prepare for other elections at all levels,” Omar concluded.
