Why I insisted on free, fair election in Edo - Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his insistence on free and fair election in last Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State was informed by his desire to ensure that innocent Nigerians do not suffer, regardless of party affiliation.

Speaking yesterday when re-elected Governor Godwin Obaseki led his Deputy, Philip Shuaibu, and other party supporters to the State House on a thank you visit, Buhari said: “I thank you for bringing your deputy and supporters to come and see me after beating my party.

“I am supposed to preside over all Nigerians’ interests, whether I like it or not, but my single desire is to make sure that innocent people don’t suffer. That message I got across to the Inspector General of Police, that elections must be free and fair.”

According to the President: “If contestants have too much money and they decide to spray, so be it. But what I insist is, nobody should go and raise a counter-force to the government, arm heavily-drugged thugs to go and humiliate people.

“I want Nigerians to appreciate that I respect them as Nigerians and that I am bound by the oath I have taken, that their security is in the hands of God and in the hands of the government, which I am leading.”

Buhari noted that as leader of the governing party, and despite the fact that the party has lost some states in past elections, he wishes to leave behind a political culture based on integrity, adding: “We have lost states across the country. Now I do not like to escape the responsibility, seeing as the leader of the country, I am also the leader of my party, that I am not leading the party very well.