Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) on Monday in Benin City, led a mega rally for the party ahead of the September 2 local government area election in Edo State.

Addressing the teeming party members and supporters who trooped out for the event, Obi described the local government area system as “where development is domiciled”.

“Local government is the closest to the people and it is supposed to be the root of ensuring development for the people.

“The three most critical areas of development are health, education and poverty eradication and they are responsibilities of the local government.

“So, for the system to work, for a country to develop well, it is the local government, as everything that has to do with development is domiciled in the local government.

“That is why it is critical to our development and sustainability. As a governor, I was prevented by litigation from conducting local government elections for over six years.

“So, we are here today to support our candidates in the forthcoming local government election in Edo. We will support them with everything,” he said.

Obi, however, tasked voters in the state to vote en masse for candidates of the party in the election, assuring them that in doing so, their future would be protected.

Speaking earlier, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr Julius Abure, commended Gov Godwin Obaseki for putting modalities in place for the conduct of the election but warned, however, that the election must be free and fair.

“We have the best candidates that can man the local government system in Nigeria, hence, the need for the people to vote for all our candidates in the coming local government election,” Abure said.

Also speaking, Mr Olumide Akpata, governorship aspirant for the 2024 election in Edo, urged the electorate not to entertain fear but to go out and vote all LP candidates in the election.

Akpata, immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), said the candidates were persons of impeccable character, who could deliver on the programmes of the LP, NAN reports.