ONDO State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, onTuesday, appealed to the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, to ensure the vote of the people in Saturday's gubernatorialelection count, saying that the people of the state would not allow any manipulation of the election, in order to avert the scenario of the 1983 election, when attempts were madeto subvert the will of people in the state.
Mimiko, who rounded his re-election campaign tour with a mega rally in Akure, thestate capital, on Tuesday, commended the president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, for assuringthat there would be free and fair election in Ondo State, while he urged the INEC boss to key into this assurance and ensure those who had vowed to rig the election were not allowed.
"We want to thank the president for giving Nigeria a free and fair election in Edo. He promised and he delivered and we believe that he is a man of his words. He has promised that there will be a free and fair election in Ondo State and we also believe him.
"We are appealing to INEC to please, for the sake of our nation Nigeria, for the sake of peace in our land, to ensure that election on Saturday is not manipulated.
"I want to appeal to Professor Jega that it is not enough for you to be a man of integrity; you must also ensure that all officers under you are not unduly influenced, because we will reject any manipulation of our election in Ondo State," he said.
Mimiko also rallied the people of the state to be ready to defend their votes and resist those who, despite the fact that they were not on the ground, had vowed to rig the election.
"You must defend your votes and shame those who have vowed to capture you and take you into second slavery on Saturday.
Those who play god, I say foul on them, because the people of Ondo State would not bow to a foreign god.
"We will only worship the only one true Living God in Ondo State. Ondo State is better managed than any state in the South-West and woe betides those who want to steal ourvote on Saturday," he said.
The governor also used the occasion to berate the leaders of opposition parties in the state for castigating his numerous developmental projects, saying that they lacked depth and the vision to comprehend the deep philosophy behind those projects for which accolades had come his way from far and near, even from international communities and organisations. Tribune Nigeria