As campaigns for the Edo State governorship election in September officially kick-off Wednesday, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Asue Ighodalo, has appealed to the other political parties participating in the election and their candidates in particular, to endeavour to focus on issues, be decorous and not dwell on inanities.

Ighodalo made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Asue Ighodalo Media Team in Benin City. The PDP gubernatorial hopeful was quoted as saying that, “I sincerely believe that we are ready for the campaigns as the Independent National Electoral Commission has formally lifted the ban on public campaigns for the September election, beginning from tomorrow, April 24. On our part, we are ready to play by the rules. We will focus on issues. Edolities want to know and hear us talk about what we are bringing to the table to solve the problems of insecurity, poverty, infrastructure and many more. We will make decorum our watchword.

“Therefore, I want to appeal to all the other political parties, and in particular, their candidates to please let us dwell on issues and not on inanities. We must do everything to avoid campaigns of calumny, character assassination, deliberately peddling falsehood against individuals and trying to tie and link them to what they know nothing about.

“We will be very deliberate and intentional in our campaigns by selling our manifesto to the electorate and persuading them to vote for us. We expect others to do the same. Let’s refrain from attacking individuals, personalities and stop throwing dirt and mud on people because of their political persuasions.

“If we all play by these rules, the atmosphere will be convivial for all of us and thus reduce the possibility of electoral hostilities and violence. We must bear in mind that we are brothers and sisters and all we want is the progress and development of our dear state,” Ighodalo declared.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a statement on Monday by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, announced that campaigns for the election will begin today, Wednesday, April 24.

Olumekun said, “As provided by Section 92(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, campaigns by political parties in public shall commence not earlier than 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.

“Therefore, political parties are now permitted to start their campaigns in public from Wednesday, April 24 and end at midnight on Thursday September 19, as indicated in items 8 and 12 of the timetable and schedule of activities for the election.”