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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Ahead of the November 11 governorship poll in Kogi State, candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance, Kingsley Ilona, has cautioned those warming up to be violent, to sheathe their swords and conduct themselves peacefully.
Ilona, at a press briefing in Abuja, reminded political pundits and supporters of different parties that only God gives power.
He said he was the most prepared to govern the state which had been plagued by youth restiveness, joblessness and economic hardship.
He said his main manifesto is to raise the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), which would enable him create jobs and build infrastructures.
“We encourage peaceful election. In all my campaigns and everything I do, I tell people it must be free and fair. This is what we must do if we are truly going to serve the people.
“Let us not encourage violence like what happened some days ago between the SDP candidate and the Kogi governor.
“I was not there and don’t know what actually happened. But from both sides of the story, one will take it with a pinch of salt.
“There is an Igala adage that says ‘even a madman knows masquerades.’ Have you seen where a madman tells himself he won’t run when he sees a madman coming? He will run. If you don’t run, the masquerade will flog you.
“So I do not think it is possible that a governor will be coming into his own domain, like our own white lion returning to his den, and some unscrupulous people will stand by the road. I don’t want to pass any judgment. It is possible that when you have a large convoy, some supporters may become unruly.
“But whatever it is, I think it is condemnable. We should try to do the right thing. But the warning is simple. Nobody has a monopoly on violence. Nobody can intimidate anybody in Kogi. An election must be free and fair.
“So we expect that the government in power, our governor the leader of the state, as well as all candidates in Kogi East and Kogi Central, will preach the same message.
“It is a contest. I am coming to serve the people, not steal from them. Why will you want to kill people because of the election? I am totally against it and won’t support it.
“Only God Almighty already knows what’s going to happen on November 11. The division among the opposition, for me, is a wake-up call for us to sit up and put our heads together,” he said.
