Edo 2024: Obaseki predicts ‘very violent election’ in Edo

Governor Godwin Obaseki has predicted that next Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State will be “very violent.”

Mr Obaseki stated this in a meeting with members of the National Peace Committee led by Abdulsalami Abubakar, the former Nigerian leader and chairperson of the committee.

In the video of the meeting posted on Facebook, Mr Abubakar told Governor Obaseki that members of the committee were in the state for the signing of a peace accord between governorship candidates and their parties.

The aim of signing the peace accord, Mr Abubakar said, was to ensure “there is no mudslinging” during the campaigns and that candidates accept election results “as long as it is free and fair” or approach the court where there is “any misgivings.”

‘It is going to be a very violent election’

In his response, Mr Obaseki said his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) met a day earlier and decided they were not going to sign the agreement.

He said the police who were supposed to enforce the peace accord were “now active participants in creating the destruction” in the state.

According to Mr Obaseki, “armed gangs 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,” the governor queried.

Mr Obaseki said the IGP’s office obtained a warrant to arrest 60 PDP supporters, a development he said has driven PDP leaders into hiding.

Speaking further, Mr Obaseki accused the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun of undermining his office as the chief security officer of Edo State.

“And for me, my role as the chief security officer is being made nonsense of by the IGP because I heard the chairperson was arrested, and I called the commissioner (of police). I say I understand this has happened, if there is anything let me know. He said I will come back to you, sir.

“He ignored me; he didn’t say anything the next morning by 4 a.m. he moved that person to Abuja, and as we speak, they are all there.”

Mr Obaseki asked why his party should sign a peace accord when their supporters are in detention without trial.

He said they do not have any confidence in the police to protect them.

“So sir, (referring to Mr Abubakar), ‘Why should we? Because clearly, (from) what we are seeing, it is going to be a very violent election, and they are going to use the forces of coercion and intimidation to win the election in Edo, whether we like it or not: that’s the message.

“We say no until everybody arrested in Edo is released or brought back to Edo to be tried on whatever offences you claimed they’ve committed. We’ve no confidence that the police are going to protect us in this election,” the governor said.

The Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, when contacted, said he was at an event and asked that a text message be sent to him. Mr Adejobi did not respond to a text message seeking his comment at the time of filing this report.

Edo election

The people of Edo State will go to the polls next Saturday to choose a successor to Governor Obaseki, who has a few months to complete his second term.

The three major candidates in the election are Asue Ighodalo, who is the candidate of the ruling PDP in the state, Monday Okpebholo, of the All Progressives Congress, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party.

Ahead of the election, Mr Egbetokun announced on Wednesday the deployment of 35,000 police operatives and 8,000 personnel from other security agencies.

The police chief also announced the suspension of the state government-backed Edo State Security Network. He warned that no private or state-owned security apparatus would be allowed to operate during and after the election.