Edo Polls: Butchers march with live cow in Benin, endorse Obaseki

Edo State Governor and the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Godwin Obaseki has received a big boost ahead of the upcoming elections scheduled for later this month.

This comes as scores of butchers took to the main streets of the Edo State capital, Benin City, with a live cow to demonstrate their solidarity for the candidate on Wednesday.

The butchers who shut down the local abattoirs, meat markets and shops in Benin City during the march with the live cow shouted slogans in solidarity with the governor, Tribune Online reports.

Speaking with journalists, the president, Association of Edo State Practicing Butchers, Mr Akhare Paul Odigie said that they were in support of Governor Obaseki because of his developmental strides in the state.

According to Tribune, Odigie said that the governor has done well and should be given the opportunity to continue and complete the good work he started in the state.

He said: “We the butchers have agreed in totality that Obaseki is our next governor and that he shall continue to occupy the seat of government till 2024 because of his developmental strides and laudable programmes for butchers.

“Today, we have shut down our abattoirs and other meat shops and meat sellers across the various markets in Edo State to endorse and to say we are 100 per cent with Obaseki.”

Continuing, he noted that since the inception of the present administration in the state, butchers have known peace and no more thuggery and extortion because of Obaseki’s support and belief that traders are the ones that move the economy.

He threatened that any attempt to circumvent the will of the people will be vehemently resisted.

Odigie said: “We are using this medium to reach out to all the entire butchers in the state and our supporters, as well as the prospective buyers and meat consumers, to mobilise and vote for Governor Godwin Obaseki.

“A vote for Obaseki is moving the meat market in Edo State to the next level just like the Brazilian meat industry.”

The chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State Council, Roland Osakue, commended the group for their peaceful rally.

Osakue advised: “Do not allow miscreants to infiltrate into your midst. We owe it a duty as citizens to protect government property which belongs to all of us.”