The Oyo State Governor-Elect, Mr. Seyi Makinde, has decried the violence that erupted in the state during the elections, saying it was needless to kill people over political ambitions.
He stated this on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s special programme on the election’s coverage, The Verdict.
His statement comes 24 hours after he emerged the winner of the governorship election which held in the state on Saturday.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Makinde winner of the keenly contested poll after polling 515,621 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu of the All Progressives Congress who polled 357,982 votes.
But Makinde having clinched the state’s top job regretted the violence that claimed the life of the lawmaker representing Lagelu /Akinyele Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Temitope Olatoye, blaming it on desperate politicians.
READ ALSO: INEC Declares Makinde Winner Of Oyo Governorship Election
“We have gone ahead to appeal to our people to stay calm. Occupying a political position does not require anyone to just kill. I saw the whole issue as desperation.
“We should allow the will of the people to prevail. If we adhere to that, then there wouldn’t be any need for anyone to lose their life for the sake of politics,” he stated.
Makinde, who would be sworn in as Oyo State Governor on May 29 promised to run an all-inclusive government regardless of who voted for him or not.
According to him, it is time to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of the state after a rigorous campaign.
“It has never happened in the history of elections in Oyo State where a candidate will win by a landslide with over 150,000 votes. All the things that we did right during that period, we will utilise them during the process of governance.
“We have the experience and we’ve seen those things work during the process. So we will ensure that the messages get to the grass root and we will get the grass root behind the government,” he added.
When asked what he will want to be remembered at the expiration of his four-year mandate that begins in May, Makinde explained that his parting gift to the people will be a robust and buoyant economy.
