Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo says the state’s civil servants would face negative consequences if the opposition wins the upcoming governorship election.

Mr Obaseki said this during a thank-you meeting with public servants on Tuesday in Benin, the state capital.

“Any mistake you make will affect you first before others. You will be the first victim,” Mr Obaseki told the civil servants.

He highlighted the progress made in technology-driven operations within the state’s civil service and urged voters to make the right decision to maintain this momentum.

Mr Obaseki warned that electing leaders who lacked experience and ideas could be disastrous for the state.

“The risk is about allowing people without ideas of what to do to lead. People who can’t even articulate their ideas, people who can’t read a balance sheet,” said the governor.

The governor praised the PDP governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, as a capable leader who would continue his work.

Stressing that the state could not afford to “make mistakes” in voting, Mr Obaseki said, “Those who want to take over power by all means are uneducated and have never worked in any better place.

“My message to you is that that is a risk we can’t afford. It is not about Obaseki but democracy and development. Edo will face a major risk if you miss it on Saturday.

On his part, Mr Ighodalo said Mr Obaseki had done tremendously well, and the transformation in the civil service was second to none.

“Edo State public and civil service is number one in Nigeria. Obaseki has done well, and I will continue from where Obaseki would stop,“ he stated.

Mr Ighodalo charged the people to come out en masse to vote and defend their votes.

Anthony Okungbowa, the State Head of Service (HoS), thanked the governor for his tremendous reform in the civil service and prayed to God to bless him.

(NAN)