"We Can Never Vote a Man Who Slaps Opposition Because They Didn't Support Him" — Concerned Akoko-Edo Residents Reject Oladele Bankole-Balogun's Reps Ambition
A group identifying itself as Concerned Akoko-Edo People has declared its opposition to the reported ambition of Oladele Bankole-Balogun to represent the constituency in the House of Representatives, citing what it described as past conduct during the party's House of Representatives primaries.
In a statement made available to journalists, the group alleged that it could not support any aspirant who, in its view, resorted to intimidation or physical confrontation against those who refused to align with his political interests.
According to the group, memories of the House of Representatives primaries remain fresh, and they claimed that an incident in which opposition members were allegedly assaulted has continued to influence public perception of the aspirant.
> "We can never vote for a man who slaps opposition because they refused to support him. Leadership demands tolerance, emotional intelligence and respect for differing opinions. We have not forgotten what happened during the House of Representatives primaries," the statement read.
The group argued that democratic leadership should be built on persuasion, consultation and inclusiveness rather than fear or coercion, adding that Akoko-Edo deserves a representative whose conduct reflects the values of civility and accountability.
They further called on political parties to prioritise candidates with records of humility, maturity and respect for democratic principles, insisting that the people of the constituency would carefully scrutinise the character of anyone seeking public office.
The concerned residents maintained that elections should be decided by the free will of the electorate and not by intimidation or political pressure, urging aspirants to conduct their campaigns peacefully and issue-based.
As of the time of filing this report, Oladele Bankole-Balogun had not publicly responded to the allegations contained in the statement.
The development is expected to generate further political debate within Akoko-Edo as consultations and preparations ahead of future electoral contests continue.
In a statement made available to journalists, the group alleged that it could not support any aspirant who, in its view, resorted to intimidation or physical confrontation against those who refused to align with his political interests.
According to the group, memories of the House of Representatives primaries remain fresh, and they claimed that an incident in which opposition members were allegedly assaulted has continued to influence public perception of the aspirant.
> "We can never vote for a man who slaps opposition because they refused to support him. Leadership demands tolerance, emotional intelligence and respect for differing opinions. We have not forgotten what happened during the House of Representatives primaries," the statement read.
The group argued that democratic leadership should be built on persuasion, consultation and inclusiveness rather than fear or coercion, adding that Akoko-Edo deserves a representative whose conduct reflects the values of civility and accountability.
They further called on political parties to prioritise candidates with records of humility, maturity and respect for democratic principles, insisting that the people of the constituency would carefully scrutinise the character of anyone seeking public office.
The concerned residents maintained that elections should be decided by the free will of the electorate and not by intimidation or political pressure, urging aspirants to conduct their campaigns peacefully and issue-based.
As of the time of filing this report, Oladele Bankole-Balogun had not publicly responded to the allegations contained in the statement.
The development is expected to generate further political debate within Akoko-Edo as consultations and preparations ahead of future electoral contests continue.
