Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has expressed concerns over the neutrality of the Police and Independent National Electoral Commission in the lead up to the September 21 governorship election.
He spoke when he received the Chairman of the National Peace Committee and former Military Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, who was on a courtesy visit to the Government House in Benin City.
Obaseki noted that the Police has arrested over 10 PDP chieftains, including the serving Chairman of Esan West Local Government Area, Hon. Collins Aigbogun, who was arrested and whisked to Abuja. He queried how one enters a peace accord with an umpire who has shown bias in favor of one of the parties in the election.
According to him, “You are very conversant with the politics of Edo State. You were here in 2020 and we had a very heated election. You know this is an off-circle election and there is a lot of attention. Unlike 2020, I am very worried with the developments in the State today. The party met yesterday and we might not likely sign this agreement. This is the first time we are witnessing that the person who is supposed to keep and enforce the peace accord is now an active participant in creating a destructive environment.”
The governor also demanded the immediate unconditional release of the PDP chieftains who were arrested in gestapo style by the Police and whisked to secret holding centres.
On his part, the chairman of the PDP in Edo, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, raised alarm over the deployment of associates of the former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to act as the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the State and the Edo Commissioner of Police in the lead up to the election.
Aziegbemi noted that the Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner is Anugbum Onuoha, who is a former Special Adviser on Lands to the FCT Minister, Wike, while he served as Governor, adding that the Edo Commissioner of Police, CP Nemi Edwin-Iwo, a close associate of the FCT Minister, was deployed to the State barely a month ago.
In a statement, Aziegbemi said, “We are worried that the election may have been compromised even before it starts. This is because we are certain that the officials responsible for conducting a free, fair and credible election are close associates of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.”