By John Oghojafor
Worried by the increasing spate of wanton destruction of candidates’ billboards in some parts of Delta State, the APC party chairman for Delta Central Senatorial district, Olorogun (Barr.) Adelabu Bodjor has appealed to stakeholders in all the contesting political parties in the state to maintain a level of decorum and shun violence before, during and after the campaigns.
Bodjor who made this appeal during a press interview in Warri Wednesday, noted that destruction of political opponents’ billboards was a pointer to a pending violence, advising that violence does not pay even as he said that whatever position any politician is vying for the bottom line is for such a politician to represent the interest of the masses.
According to him, vandalism of billboards belonging to political opponents is becoming rampant even when campaigns have not started, noting that no matter the position a candidate is seeking to occupy, cannot be equated to the blood of an Urhobo son or daughter.
He said: “I’ve observed that in recent times, there has been an increasing spate of vandalism of party’s candidate’s billboards and posters by some unknown persons in different parts of Delta Central and even within the state in general. If not properly checked now, this development might result in violence as the kick-off of campaigns draws near.
“I want to make it emphatically clear that violence does not pay. We are all Urhobo politicians contesting to represent the interest of the Urhobo nation. So, whatever position anybody is vying for does not qualify it for a drop of an Urhobo son or daughter.
“I want to call on all political parties, most especially my colleague in the PDP, Chief A.P. Fovie, who happens to be my elder brother, to take this issue very seriously. We are all from the same bigger Urhobo family, the same Urhobo nation. We should talk to ourselves, we should talk to our followers that violence will not take us anywhere because, at the end of the day, the chicken must come back home to roost.
“If we belong to the same community, we belong to the same Urhobo nation then why must we kill ourselves because of political issues? So, this idea of pulling down or destroying billboards and posters of political opponents must stop. People should learn to tolerate each other.”
Bodjor called on the PDP chairman in the area as well as other chairmen from other political parties across the state, that we political leaders should take time off to educate our candidates and supporters that the Urhobo nation will not tolerate violence but rather continue to preach the gospel of politics without violence.
“I want to call on my colleague in the other parties that this is not the time for violence and that the Urhobo nation will not tolerate violence. We should continue to educate our candidates, their supporters and party members that this is not the time for violence. The Urhobo nation will continue to preach politics without bitterness. It is our collective effort and I want to make it a sing-song that from now until the completion of elections, we must, as a people, learn to be decorous. We must learn to remember that we are brothers and sisters politics notwithstanding.”
The APC chairman assured that he was looking forward to a joint meeting of leaders of political parties where the issue of non-violence and peaceful campaigns will be addressed seriously, adding that “we must put an end to violence and embrace peace.”
“I intend to reach to the leaders from the other political parties,” he concluded.
