Legal Aid and Self Development Initiative (LASEDI), an NGO, on Tuesday urged governorship aspirants with pending EFCC cases to steer clear of Enugu State.
“Aspirants with pending cases at the EFCC and those whose corruption cases are public knowledge should steer clear of Enugu State governorship race,’’ its Executive Secretary, Mr Onyinye Isiani, stated in Enugu.
He added that the NGO was worried about the high number of gubernatorial aspirants in the state with damning corruption cases pending at the EFCC.
He stated also that while the EFCC suspects were innocent until proven guilty in the court of law, the resources of Enugu State could not be handed to people of questionable character.
“Affected aspirants should step aside until they are declared innocent by the anti-graft agency or by the court of law,’’ Isiani stressed.
The NGO urged Enugu State residents to ensure that they participated actively in processes leading to the 2023 general elections and vote for candidates of their choice.
“We appeal to our people to get their Permanent Voter Cards, especially those that have attained the age of 18 years to be able to vote at the elections.
“The trend where the state has close to two million registered voters but records lower than 400,000 voter turnout at elections should not continue,’’ Isiani stated.
LASEDI appreciated efforts by Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in sustaining peace in the state and commended him for embarking on projects impacting directly on citizens, particularly those in the rural areas.
It also commended citizens who identified with the zoning tradition in the state in spite of efforts by some politicians to truncate the arrangement so as to plunge the state into chaos.
“As a group, we remain resolute in the defence of any principle which engenders peace and brings about the safety of Enugu State citizens,’’ Isiani stated.
LASEDI offers free legal services to the vulnerable and the less privileged. (NAN)