After months and weeks of countdown, the people of Edo State will in the next few days go out to elect a new governor that will take over from the incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki, whose two terms in office will come to an end on November 16.
With electioneering at its peak, tension is high across Edo State as the September 21 election date gets closer, in what is expected to be a fiercely-contested poll by the three major political parties in the country.
In the last few months, the eighteen political parties and their candidates have been in serious campaign, moving across the state to sell their programmes to the people of the state.
Typical of elections in Nigeria, the electioneering for the Edo gubernatorial poll has been characterised by carpet-crossing, realignments, horse-trading and violence.
Pundits have identified candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP) as frontrunners, though the PDP and the APC have been natural opponents in the state’s political landscape.
But, the LP, especially after its outing in the 2023 general election, has shown its capability to give the PDP and APC a run for their money.
Besides the election being a three-horse race, the forthcoming poll is peculiar in several ramifications. The peculiarity of it lies more in the rivalry between the PDP and the APC, not just at the national level, but that it is more of a status and influence contest between two hitherto jolly-good-fellows, Governor Godwin Obaseki, and his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole.
The duo were political bedfellows such that against all protestations, Oshiomhole, as the outgoing governor in 2016, made Obaseki, who then was politically unknown, the governor of the state on the platform of the APC. However, matters came to a head between them and they became politically irreconcilable.
The peak of that love lost was the disqualification of Obaseki by the APC, when he sought his second term in 2020. Oshiomhole, who then was the national chairman of the APC, ensured that his estranged godson did not get the much-desired second term ticket. Obaseki was forced to move to the waiting hands of the PDP, and all those who had one axe or the other to grind with Oshiomhole rallied round the governor and saw to Obaseki’s victory, which left the Oshiomhole political dynasty bleeding as it lost 13 out of the 18 local government areas in the state.
Ahead of the September 21 poll, the two gladiators are bent on reclaiming the state and are heading for a showdown.
In the last few weeks, the electioneering process has been characterised by violence, with the three major political parties accusing one another of plotting to rig the election, instigate trouble and intimidate their supporters on election day.
In July, tension escalated following the shooting at the exit gate of Benin Airport which left the two leading parties, PDP and APC trading accusations on who was responsible.
The shooting left a policeman dead and others injured with the APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo, attacked, while the state government and the former deputy governor, Phillip Shaibu, traded blame over who was responsible for the incident.
Speaking on the incident, PDP Chairman, Anthony Aziegbemi, told journalists at the party’s secretariat in Benin City, Edo State, that the incident showed how desperate the APC in Edo State had become, in their bid to foist their candidate on Edo people.
In recent days, the PDP has accused the police of working with the APC to harass its members and chieftains across Edo State. The party accused the police of arresting its members in some local government areas in the state, saying that it was a ploy to weaken them ahead of the poll.
Last Thursday, the party declined to sign the peace accord, despite the party chairman in the state, Aziegbemi, and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, being present at the venue.
Aziegbemi hinged their action on the alleged arrest of 10 PDP members currently detained by the police in Abuja.
He said: “We are here to register our protest before the peace committee and to say that the PDP will not sign a peace accord when 10 of our members have been arrested and detained by the Police in Abuja.”
Incumbent governor, Obaseki had told the Peace Committee led by a former Head of State, Abdulsalam Abubakar, a day earlier that they were not going to sign the agreement.
He had told them that the police who were supposed to enforce the peace accord were now active participants in creating the destruction in the state.
Read also: INEC meets stakeholders, says ready for Edo election
According to Obaseki, “armed gang police officers from the inspector general’s office invaded the state, arrested PDP members and took them to Abuja.
“As we speak, there are about 10 in detention in Abuja without trial. Two days ago, they came to pick up a local government chairperson. This man (the chairperson) was attacked and shot at. He reported, and the police said he should come and give evidence. He went, and they arrested him. As we speak, he’s in Abuja.
“I say, even if offences were committed in Edo State, why won’t you charge the offences here and put them on trial here? Why take them to Abuja? Are these offences of high treason? And then in Abuja, why not charge them to court in Abuja?”
Meanwhile, the APC had also accused the police of working for the PDP, stating that the police have refused to arrest suspected political thugs, who activities allegedly led to the murder of Inspector Onuh Akor at the airport.
There have been reported cases of shooting, fighting, killings and maiming at campaign rallies of the two parties, with each one pointing the finger of blame at the other.
For now, it is not sure what will happen in the coming days, but for observers the election will be a litmus test for the security agencies in the country, due to growing fears that it may become bloody considering the conflicts and disagreements that have heightened among the political actors.
Over the years, organising violence-free elections in Nigeria has become a herculean task. The more the electoral body and the government devise means of delivering flawless elections, the more sophisticated the perpetrators of chaos become.
It is obvious that political parties and their thugs, who are hell-bent on sabotaging the electoral process, are always a step or more ahead of the electoral body, the government and the security agencies.
With the election few days away, stakeholders have called on security agencies to maintain surveillance over the electioneering process, and on election day to prevent violent attacks by political candidates and their supporters.
Political Analyst, Shola Ogundimu said it was obvious that some forces are not interested in having a free and fair election in the country, knowing that only they can win in their rigging. He charged the people of Edo State to come out and vote for the candidate of their choice and wait to defend their votes.
“It is obvious some people do not want free and fair elections; they want to win at all cost and the only way to do that is to instigate violence and rig. It is sad for our democracy but it is where we are, until we rise above them and decide to fight these individuals there may not be the desired change in the country,” Ogundimu said.
Read also: Edo election: PDP raises alarm over plans to rig election
INEC, police must maintain neutrality
As tension continues to escalate among political actors, many observers and stakeholders have charged security agencies and INEC to maintain their neutrality on election day.
Stakeholders say the Nigeria Police Force must rise above partisanship and provide a level-playing field for all candidates as anything less would be a gross betrayal of democracy.
For many, the Edo election is an opportunity for INEC to redeem its image over the poor manner last year gubernatorial elections were poorly conducted in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa States.
Many Nigerians have also expressed concerns over potential police bias in favour of the APC, citing fears of voter suppression, political intimidation, and manipulation of the electoral process.
In a statement, John Mayaki, the coalition’s Country Director, alleged that the APC is attempting to leverage its federal influence over the police to tilt the electoral scale in its favor, deploying what it termed “federal might” to undermine the democratic process.
To prevent electoral malpractice, the CSOs urged international bodies, including the United Nations, European Union, Amnesty International, and the United States Department of State, to monitor the election and ensure the police remain impartial.
“The police have come under suspicion for aligning with the ruling APC, given that the party controls the Federal Government, and by extension, the police. But the stakes of democracy are far too high for us to allow the Force to become a pawn in the hands of a political party.
“The Nigeria Police Force must rise above partisanship and provide a level-playing field for all candidates. Anything less would be a gross betrayal of democracy.
“This brazen threat to deploy federal might is a direct assault on the principles of free and fair elections. The police must not allow themselves to become the enforcers of political impunity. Elections are the cornerstone of democracy. Allowing security forces to take sides or intimidate voters in any way will only plunge Edo State into chaos and disenfranchise its citizens.
“Insecurity, bias, and the misuse of security forces are enemies of democracy. The Nigeria Police Force must demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law by remaining neutral. Edo State and indeed the entire nation are watching,” the statement read in part.
CSOs condemn political parties’ violence
In the last few days, many Civil Society Organisations within an outside Edo State have condemned the spate of political violence ahead of the September 21, governorship election.
The CSOs noted that the refusal of the PDP to sign the peace accord was disturbing.
Samson Itodo, executive director of pro-democracy group, Yiaga Africa, said that peace accord fallout may impair voters’ turnout in the September 21 poll.
Itodo said the peace committee should lower the temperature of tension in the state and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun should call the stakeholders to a meeting and address their concerns.
According to Itodo, “What has happened today will further escalate the tension.
“When you have this crisis of confidence, you just give voters so much fear that their votes will not count next week.
“There is a crisis of confidence in Edo State as it stands, the stage has been set for all forms of post-election disputes.”
Itodo further said it was the first time that a political party won’t sign a peace accord in about a decade, urging the PDP and its candidate to sign the accord to de-escalate tension in the state.
According to him, there are fears about the election as politicians are preparing for a showdown.
He warned that if the environment is not safe, voters won’t come out to vote on D-day and appealed to security agents and the electoral umpire to conduct themselves in an impartial and unbiased manner.
“I want to call on the IG and the police to invite the stakeholders to a meeting giving the sensitivity of this particular issue and address some of the concerns that they have raised but to also call on the actors on the other side that they need to sheathe their swords, and come to the dialogue table.
“If their (politicians’) concerns are addressed, they should go back to their supporters not to embrace violence,” he said.
The Edo Civil Society Organisations, EDOSCO, a coalition of civil societies in the state, noted that there have been disturbing reports of violence in some parts of the state and intolerance among political parties, the group also listed physical attacks and destruction of campaign materials and personal properties as cases that have been reported as regular occurrences.
A statement signed by Omobude Agho, coordinator-general, and Godspower Okumbor, secretary-general, respectively, alleged that the armed thugs harassed, threatened and chased away voters and that it was difficult to confirm which party they were loyal to.
According to him, “The most recent is the violent attack at Uhunmora in Owan West Local Government Area, where a young man was beaten by a gang of political opponents and left for dead.
“The incidents of collection of voter cards by proxies or by political party’s agents have become a common practice with the assured conspiracy of INEC officials, while security agencies look the other way to the helplessness of patriotic citizens with genuine voting intentions.
“Verbal attacks must be discouraged as they are capable of breeding bloody violence and eternal hate among supporters; instead, we encourage that manifestos must be compulsorily documented and freely made available to citizens for record and reference purposes.”
Atiku, PDP demand redeployment of Edo REC, police commissioner
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has called for neutrality of security agencies ahead of the Edo poll.
Atiku called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to release chieftains of the PDP in Edo State who were arrested and detained.
He condemned the action of police in arresting and detaining PDP leaders in Edo State ahead of the governorship election, saying the time has come for security agencies to be called to account for their conduct.
Also speaking at a press conference, the acting PDP national chairman, Umar Damagum, demanded the redeployment of the Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Anugbum Onuoha, and the Commissioner of Police, Nemo Edwin-Iwo, ahead of the September 21 governorship election in the state.
Damagum, vowed that party members would defend their votes with blood and explained that the party did not sign the National Peace Committee’s accord due to concerns about the All Progressives Congress-led administration.
