APC, LP tackle PDP over Obaseki’s N1bn grant to market women, NAF aircraft arrive Edo with sensitive materials

The Independent National Electoral Commission is set to begin the employment of more than 5,000 Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems and other sensitive materials on Thursday (today) for the Edo State governorship election scheduled for Saturday.

Sensitive materials, including ballot papers and result sheets, arrived in Edo State on Wednesday via Benin Airport and were transported to secure storage facilities under tight security.

This comes as the 17 political parties participating in the poll are slated to end their campaign today.

The All Progressives Congress candidate Senator Monday Okpebholo, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party are the leading contenders ahead of the ballot.

INEC officials and security personnel supervised the transportation of the election materials to ensure accountability.

5,000 BIVAS 

Multiple senior INEC officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that more than 5,000 BVAS devices would be deployed for the election.

“More than 5,000 BVAS devices will be deployed for the Edo State governorship election. BVAS is a sensitive election material. It will be deployed tomorrow (today) with other sensitive materials,” one of the officials disclosed.

INEC is preparing to ensure a smooth and efficient electoral process across the state’s 4,519 polling units and 211 collation centres, which include 192 ward centres, 18 local government collation centres, and the state collation centre in Benin City.

As part of its preparation for the polls, INEC has increased its financial support to transport unions for the election logistics.

Additionally, the commission has been engaging with various stakeholders ranging from political parties and civil society groups to community leaders—to ensure that the electoral process is transparent and inclusive.

It was further learnt that the commission would deploy more than 18,000 ad-hoc staff for the poll.

Based on INEC’s staffing structure, each of the 4,519 polling units in Edo State will require a team of four officers, comprising a Presiding Officer and three Assistant Presiding Officers (APO I, II, and III), totaling 18,076 ad-hoc staff.

In addition to the POs and APOs, INEC will also dispatch Supervisory Presiding Officers to manage operations at various polling units across the state.

In a move to ensure a hitch-free exercise, the Nigeria Police Force has announced that it is expecting over 8,000 security personnel from other agencies to join the 35,000 officers already deployed for the Edo State governorship election.

Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, the Force Spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi said drones, helicopters and other equipment had been deployed in the state to forestall any untoward incidents during the poll.

Adejobi added that DIG Frank Mba would lead the police team, noting that Assistant Inspectors-General and Commissioners of Police would be posted to senatorial districts and local governments.

He said, “We are deploying 35,000 police officers to Edo, and we expect 8,000 plus to join us from other security agencies who are members of the Committee on Election Security. The IGP has deployed two Deputy Inspectors-General Police, DIG Frank Mba, to be the head of the team, then DIG Daniel Pedro, who is from the South-South, to be part of it. AIGs, Commissioners of Police are to be posted to senatorial districts and local governments.

“We have enough officers to monitor deployment and supervise the conduct of our men and other security agents there. So, we have enough deployment; our chopper will go, drones have been deployed, and many other critical assets have been moved down to Edo to make sure we have a free, fair, credible and even acceptable election in Edo State

“So, we are ready to support the INEC to make sure we have good conduct and a very perfect electoral process in Edo.”

Reacting to allegations that members of the PDP were indiscriminately arrested, Adejobi said those arrested so far in the state were involved   with the murder of a police officer.

He said, “We have not arrested any member of any party. Those that we have arrested so far in Edo are those that were suspected and they have been fingered in the killing of a policeman within the airport vicinity in Benin City.

“So, if they belong to a party, we don’t know; if they are businessmen, we don’t know; if they are professors, we don’t know. So, we are only dealing with those who have been fingered in the killing of the policeman in the state. And for those who have killed policemen or a policeman across the country, they have murdered peace and they will never enjoy peace.

“We cannot allow our policemen to be killed, to be attacked and be killed and you expect us to fold our arms? So, people are accusing the IGP of arresting people in Edo indiscriminately. No. We have our targets, we went for our targets, and we will still go for more.

“Those are people arrested in connection with the killing of the policeman. Don’t forget, we have charged some people to court. The case is in court and we are still going to do more. We are widening the scope of the investigation.

“Enough is enough. Any slightest thing, you attack the police and you kill the policemen as if we don’t have laws in Nigeria.

“So, anybody can say whatever they want to say, but for us in the police, we don’t know anybody’s identity other than those that we have arrested for the killing of a policeman in the state.

“According to the provisions of the law, there is what we call parties to offences, a criminal law. If you have committed an offence, if you are propelled to commit an offence, you are parties to that offence, and you go for it.

“So, those that are picked, they have done one thing or the other that led to the crisis and that led to the shooting of the policemen. Not only that, arms have been recovered from them, prohibited firearms. More than six have been recovered from them.

“So, we are not picking individuals to jeopardize the electoral process. We are not picking anybody on party basis. We only went after those who killed our policemen and injured others.”

Ahead of the election, the Nigerian Air Force has begun airlifting election materials to the state.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Deputy Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Group Captain, Kabiru Ali said the airlifting was to ensure timely and secure delivery of sensitive materials necessary for the smooth conduct of the elections.

Ali said, “The Nigerian Air Force has commenced the airlift of election materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission to Benin, Edo State, ahead of the upcoming governorship election scheduled for 21 September 2024.

“This move is part of a broader effort to ensure timely and secure delivery of sensitive materials necessary for the smooth conduct of the elections. The airlift operation demonstrates the collaboration between NAF and INEC, aimed at facilitating logistics and ensuring a peaceful election process in Edo State.”

PDP accuses INEC

With just 48 hours before election, the PDP urged the electoral commission and the police not to allow the All Progressives Congress pitch them against the people.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, made the statement during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, urging INEC and the police to guarantee a free, fair, and credible election in Edo State.

“The PDP has information that some unscrupulous INEC officials have concluded plans to give result sheets to APC. We call on INEC to ensure the endorsement of all result sheets by the REC and National Commissioner for the zone assigned for the election for authentication at the time of the distribution of election materials to the various Local Governments, Wards and Units,” he said.

Ologunagba asserted that the momentum for Saturday’s election suggests the PDP was poised for a decisive victory.

He stated, “The tide of this election, to the effect that the PDP is coasting to a sweeping victory, is clear for all to see and the people of Edo State are not ready to accept any result that does not reflect their Will as expressed at the ballot.

“The PDP therefore charges INEC and the police not to allow the APC to pitch them against the people. They must ensure a free, fair and credible election in Edo State.

The PDP, Ologunagba pointed out, had also been alerted that “the APC has allegedly given fake police and military uniforms and dangerous weapons to their thugs to unleash violence on the people of Edo State on Election Day.”

“These harassments, arrests and torture of PDP members and supporters are going on with the knowledge of the Edo State Commissioner of Police and the entreaties by the PDP to IGP to put such to an end have not received the desired attention,” he noted.

Ologunagba warned that the PDP candidate and the people of Edo State would not stand by and let the APC intimidate them or manipulate the results of the governorship election on Saturday.

He added, “The PDP and the people of Edo State are for peace but if the APC wants trouble, the PDP and the people of Edo State will use every legitimate weapon and means available in a democratic resistance to fight back, head-to-head and with overwhelming force to protect and ensure that nobody subverts the Will of the people at the poll.

“The PDP, in very clear terms, cautions that from henceforth any APC thug, fake or compromised security operatives that attempt to abduct any innocent citizen of Edo State, attempt to snatch ballot box or cause any crisis on election day will know that ‘Edo no bi Kogi.’

“The PDP, therefore, directs all our members and supporters across Edo State to get ready for election. They should equip themselves with all necessary self-defense mechanism to defend their Will and our democracy.”

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria has voiced concerns regarding the  election.

HURIWA and 13 affiliated organisations at a press conference in Abuja on  Wednesday, berated INEC for retaining the Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Anugbum Onuoha, citing his close ties to the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, which they said could compromise the commission’s  neutrality.

HURIWA National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said, “The refusal to redeploy Onuoha raises serious questions about the commission’s commitment to conducting a credible election in Edo State.

“INEC’s reputation is on the line, and the Nigerian people deserve an election that is transparent and free of external influences,” HURIWA stated.

The association also expressed concerns about the police’s impartiality, alleging that the Commissioner of Police in Edo State is biased towards the APC.

HURIWA claimed that  the recent arrests of PDP leaders indicated a pattern of intimidation aimed at undermining the opposition.

To address these issues, HURIWA appealed to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to take charge of security operations during the elections.

Opposition slam Obaseki

Director of Publicity, Edo APC Governorship Campaign Council, Kassim Afegbua, described the N1bn grant promised market women by Governor Obaseki  as “an inducement.”

Obaseki made the pledge while addressing the Association of Market Women in Edo State on Tuesday.

“The promise is an inducement and a trick to fool the people again,” Afegbua told The PUNCH. “He(Obaseki) has tried everything at this time and nothing is working for him. The promise is part of the gambling nature of the Governor Obaseki-led PDP government that the Edo State people have experienced in the past eight years.

“Some of the major markets have all been burnt down and he has refuse to renovate or rebuild while other markets are begging for the attention of the governor.”

The Edo State Labour Party Publicity Secretary, Sam Uruopa, told The PUNCH that the governor cannot make such a promise less than three months to the end of his tenure.

“A government that is winding down cannot make such a promise.  Is he the one on the ballot or Asue Ighodalo? Obaseki has been the governor for eight years, is it now that he is making the N1bn promise to make people vote for his failing party. He is only trying to woo the people with empty promises because they are no longer with him.”

Afegbua also accused Obaseki of trying to harass civil servants to vote for Ighodalo.

This comes after Obaseki told the state workers civil servants at a meeting on Tuesday in Benin that they would be the first casualty if an opposition candidate emerged the governor, urging them to vote for Ighodalo for continiuty sake.

“At the meeting on Tuesday, 8am, the governor issued out a fiat that any of the civil servants who refused to vote for his candidate, Asue Ighodalo, would be summarily sacked,” Afegbua said in a statement.

“He directed the directors and senior staff members to inform their subordinates of the directive, which according to him must be complied with. Even when some of the staff were grumbling, Governor Obaseki, vowed to deal ruthlessly with the staff if they failed to comply with the directive.

“According to Governor Obaseki, the election would be a do-or-die contest, and he directed the staff and civil servants to join him in the exercise of taking Edo State back by fire and by force.

“He also assured them that he would give them hazard allowances starting from Thursday to motivate the civil servants for the voting exercise. If the governor gives you money, collect it. After all, the money belongs to the people.

“We understand that what the civil servants take home from their promised N70,000 is actually N54,000 but the incoming APC government will pay N70,000 in full as well as other allowances.”

In response, the Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on Media Project, Crusoe Osagie in a statement made available to The PUNCH on Wednesday, said, “We want to equivocally state that there is no such thing and the government never made any statements whatsoever threatening civil servants. The dimwitted scribbling is not only false but a figment of the jaundiced imagination of Afegbua, whose loyalty is to mammon and not the people. 

“The civil servants in Edo State are Nigeria’s happiest workers. They are liberated and well-empowered and have no reason to vote for Kassim Afegbua’s sinking party, the APC, whose government at the centre has not only superintended the liquidation of the Nigerian State but has inflicted untold hardship and suffering on the people.”

Police arrest miscreants

Meanwhile, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the police contingent for the election, Frank Mba, said the state command, with the support of visiting officers, had arrested miscreants at dark spots to ensure the election was hitch-free.

“Like the IGP has already briefed Nigerians, the police will be deploying adequately for the Edo election. What we have done today (Wednesday) is to hold a meeting with the strategic commanders, DPOs, Area Commanders, Deputy Commissioners of Police and Commissioner of Police who are saddled with the task of providing leadership and supervision at the various levels.

“Our task is to provide a peaceful atmosphere for the conduct of a free, fair and credible election. We are working with sister agencies as we cannot work in isolation.

“The state shares borders with Kogi, Delta, Ondo and Anambra states, so the security will be adequately done. The Army will man these border areas that are far away while the Navy will also provide security on the waterways, while other security organsations will also work with us during the election.

“We are also providing a dedicated phone number, 07025000383, for the public to report any breach of peace. This phone number will be with me and if for operational reasons it is not with me, it will be with my PA.

“The state command is supported by visiting officers who have been conducting very specialised operations. They have been conducting raids at known criminal hideouts. Most of the raids they have are target-oriented, intelligent driven and they are targeted at isolating criminal elements in the state while some have been arrested. The raid continues as we are ready to provide adequate security during this election.”

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, arrived in Edo on Wednesday ahead to assess the readiness of troops deployed for the poll.

A statement by the Director of Defence Information, Brig Gen Tukur Gusau, noted that the CDS also met with the Governor Obaseki and assured him of a safe environment for the election.

The statement read, “Speaking during his visit to Governor Godwin Obaseki, the CDS said he is in the state to assess the operational readiness of the troops and other security agencies. He assures the governor of an enabling environment for Edo people to come out and vote for their candidate of choice. “

Musa also promised that the troops deployed for the election would be professional in their conduct.

“I want to assure the good people of Edo State that the Armed Forces and other security agencies are going to act professionally in the conduct of the election.”

Musa warned those with intentions to cause violence against doing so or face the consequences.

“The Armed Forces will not accept any individual carrying arms and weapons of any kind. He added that President Bola Tinubu has given the military the mandate to ensure the most peaceful election in the history of the state.

“General Musa maintained that the Armed Forces will ensure Mr president’s directive comes to fruition. He seized the opportunity to appeal to Edo citizens to come out and vote en masse while guaranteeing their security. The Nigerian Police, he said, will provide general security while the military will give security back up for the election.”

The PUNCH learnt most of the political parties have reinforced as the campaign enters final day today.

The APC said it would use its last campaign day to intensify its unit-to-unit campaign across the state.

Director of Publicity, Edo APC Campaign Council, Orobosa Omo-Ojo, said, “We will intensify the unit to unit campaign on Thursday to round off the election,” he added.

Also, presidential candidate of the Labour Party during the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi, on Wednesday tasked the security agencies and INEC to ensure a free, fair and credible poll, saying the LP was the right party to take the state to the next level.

He made this known during the final rally for the party’s candidate Olumide Akpata in Benin.

He said, “Nigerians are suffering today because of the wrong choice of leadership they made. If Akpata wins the election, he will fix the federal roads that are connected to the state without waiting for the federal government to fix them.”

Less than 72 hours to the election, the candidate of the Accord Party Dr. Bright Enabulele said he remained the authentic candidate of the party and asked whoever was aggrieved to seek redress in court.

Enabulele said the battle for the authentic AP candidate was between him and Kennedy Iyere, adding that it was an attempt to distract him from the bigger issue of governance.

 that had rendered the state post rate, assuring that he would not be drawn into that petty issue.

He advised whoever had the faintest idea that “he is the candidate of the party apart from me to first allow us to win the election and then seek redress in court. I am not going to be distracted from pursuing the desire to give the best of governance to Edo People.”

The Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership is set to conduct a comprehensive post-election audit of the election.

The Chancellor of the Athena Centre, Osita Chidoka, in a statement on Wednesday, said the exercise was aimed at building on the success of its widely praised reviews of the elections in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states.

He said the organisation had mobilised about 100 ad-hoc staff and volunteers to digitise results from IReV on election night, adding that findings would be published just days after the election and report ready before tribunal cases.

The statement read, “Building on the success of our widely praised reviews of the Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo governorship election, recognised for its depth, clarity and significant impact, the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership is set to conduct a comprehensive post-election audit of the Edo State governorship election on September 21, 2024.”

He urged Edo voters, especially youths to come out and vote, adding, “Your voice will count. Be vigilant, shun vote-buying, violence, and hold your electoral officers accountable.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC) has denied having the embattled former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, in its custody.

According to a statement on Wednesday by the EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, Bello is not in the custody of the anti-graft agency and remains a wanted man.

The EFCC added that the subsisting warrant of arrest for Bello over an alleged ₦80.2billion money laundering charges remains in place.

“Media reports today that a former Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello is in the holding facility of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is incorrect. The Commission wishes to state that Bello is not in its custody.

“Bello, already declared wanted by the Commission for alleged N80.2billion money laundering charges, remains wanted with a subsisting warrant for his arrest,” Oyewale said.

The position of the anti-graft agency differs from an earlier statement from Bello’s media office, which claims the former Governor honoured the EFCC invitation after consulting with his family, legal team, and political allies, asserting that he has “nothing to hide.”

This development comes after a history of resistance from Bello, who had previously evaded multiple EFCC invitations and faced a dramatic scene at his Abuja residence.

The EFCC had even obtained a warrant for his arrest, but intervention from his successor, Governor Usman Ododo, had staved off immediate action.

Bello currently faces a 19-count alleged money laundering charge, with his trial adjourned until September 25.