By Ijoo Bosco
Eastern Equatoria state governor, Louis Lobong Lojore has urged the people to overwhelmingly vote for President Salva Kiir in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
Addressing supporters in Torit, upon his return from Juba, where Kiir was officially endorsed as SPLM’s sole candidate, Lobong praised residents of Eastern Equatoria who travelled to the capital to participate in the endorsement event.
“Yesterday (Saturday) we showed that the SPLM and we have accepted Salva Kiir to be our candidate for the upcoming election,” Lobong said.
“This should not stop there; it should be reflected in the voting on Election Day, where Eastern Equatoria should be the first state to cast the most votes for Salva Kiir.”
Lobong further claimed that the SPLM has reached a consensus with Equatorians abroad to support Kiir’s presidential bid as a united voting bloc.
“They are jointly going to vote as a block, and we are going to vote as Equatorians in all the blocks for Kiir’s election,” he added.
State SPLM Secretary General, German Ojok commended the people of Eastern Equatoria, both within the state and in Juba, for turning out in large numbers to endorse Kiir, which made the party leadership proud.
Ojok appealed for unity and cooperation among the supporters as they prepare for Election Day, despite any challenges that may arise during the process.
“You, the citizens of Eastern Equatoria, have made us proud,” Ojok said. “You have shown the people of South Sudan that we in Eastern Equatoria believe in the SPLM, and we remain as SPLM.”
Additionally, the state representative for the National Agenda, a coalition of political parties, Onek Peter Alfred, praised the SPLM’s decision to stand with President Kiir in the 2024 election.
He called on the state leadership to work as a team to mobilize more votes from the population.
The governor and SPLM officials’ emphasis on garnering overwhelming support for Kiir in Eastern Equatoria mirrors the party’s strategy to secure a strong mandate in the upcoming election.