…..APC alleges violent plots by Wike, Obaseki to disrupt election
……PDP raises alarm over alleged harassment of its governors in Edo
…..Again, INEC Chairman warns staff members against partisanship
……Yiaga Africa to adopt PVT methodology to check credibility of election results
……..Anxiety among journalists over fear of kidnap
Ibe Pascal Arogorn
The hotel where Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, is lodging in Benin, Edo State capital is under siege by over 300 policemen, People Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Rivers chapter, Akawor Desmond, has alleged.
A thread posted on the Twitter handle of the Rivers State governor, Friday evening and credited to Desmond explained that “The Hotel where the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike is lodging while on official assignment in Benin, Edo State has been held siege by over 300 Policemen.
“Recall that Governor Wike was appointed Chairman of the PDP National Campaign Council for the Edo Governorship election; this is the same position Governor Ganduje of Kano State occupies for his party the APC.
“Governor Ganduje and Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State are all in Benin, Edo State carrying out their assignment for the APC without any molestation or intimidation.
“And in a breach of the pledge, they made security agencies have decided to harass and intimidate Governor Wike who has not done any wrong.
“Rivers People Warn that we Shall hold the IGP responsible for anything that happens to our Governor,” signed: Ambassador Akawor Desmond, Chairman PDP Rivers State.
The Hotel where the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike is lodging while on official assignment in Benin, Edo State has been held siege by over 300 Police men.
— Gov N E Wike Information. (@GovWike)
September 18, 2020
APC alleges violent plots by Wike, Obaseki to disrupt election
THE All Progressives Congress, APC in Edo State yesterday alleged that the Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Campaign Council who is also the governor of Rivers State, Nyesome Wike and Governor Godwin Obaseki who is the candidate of the PDP have perfected plans to unleash violence in the state before snd during the September 19th election
A statement yesterday by the Chairman Media of Edo State APC Campaign Council, John Mayaki while reacting to comments by Wike in a television interview aired yesterday alleged that PDP was planning to mar the election for fear of defeat.
Wike during the programme was said to have stated that the people of Edo already knew the type of candidate the APC was presenting, going by what the former national chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said about the APC candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu four years ago.
He said“Adams Oshiomhole told Edo people that Ize-Iyamu was rusticated from school; that he poured acid on a fellow student that destroyed his manhood. That he is an armed robber that cannot be trusted with money,” Wike reportedly said.
But Mayaki in a statement alleged that Governor Obaseki like Wike has perfected strategies including intimidation vandalism, destruction of opponent’s properties, and harassment of innocent persons to obtain power.
He said,
“According to reliable data sourced from Peace Map, political violence in Rivers State steadily increased beginning in January 2015, peaking in the lead-up and aftermath of the April gubernatorial elections and this was due largely to the violent attitude of Nyesom Wike.
“In Edo State, we have seen the same trait. There is a persistent problem in the violent, dishonest, and generally deplorable conduct of the rejected PDP which poses a great threat to the peaceful conduct of the September 19 election.
“A clear example of their violent conduct and brutality was witnessed by all in the incident that took place on July 25, when Mr. Godwin Obaseki and his cohorts of tax-collectors were confronted, through a peaceful protest, by the people of Edo State who are both repulsed and angered at the continuous unraveling of his collapsing government marked by daily resignations and revelations of fraud.
“As video evidence and several objective eye-witness accounts show, this incident took place outside of the Palace, in the Oredo Local Council.
PDP raises alarm over alleged harassment of its governors in Edo
Few hours to the Edo State governorship election, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has raised alarm over alleged harassment of governors elected on its platform.
Addressing journalists in an emergency press conference, national chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus said while Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state and the deputy senate President, Ovie IMO-Agege were chilling in the Benin home of Adams Oshiomhole, PDP governors were being harassed in the Edo state capital.
Secondus said:
“Hope Uzodinma and Ovie Omo-Agege are in the home of the former chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Oshiomhole. PDP governors are being harassed in Westend Hotel, Benin.
Policemen Have Surrounded The Hotel and their lives are in danger. We call on Inspector General of Police to ask the police to leave the place because their lives are in danger. If APC governors are in Benin, the PDP governors should be in Benin too. Our governors would remain in Benin, no one can intimidate us.
“We are bringing this to the attention of the international community. Elections must be free. Elections must be allowed to hold. You cannot allow APC governors in Edo, and bar PDP governors,” he said.
Again, INEC Chairman warns staff members against partisanship
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has appealed its staff not to accorded any advantage to a political party or candidate over the other in the conduct of Edo governorship election.
The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, in his message issued in Abuja on Friday, urged the staff to be neutral at all times and stick strictly to INEC’s Code of Conduct and Oath of Neutrality to which they all subscribed.
“Let me appeal to all of you to remain steadfast and committed to the ideals of the Commission.
“Nigerians and the international community expect so much from us. They are watching.
“It is important that we all remain above board in the performance of our respective duties.
“We must ensure that no political party or candidate is accorded any advantage over the other,” Yakubu said.
He said that as INEC begins the final countdown to the Edo governorship election, it was clear that all eyes were on the INEC to deliver a free, fair and credible process.
Yakubu said he had no doubt that INEC staff members would rise to the occasion, saying, `we have done it several times before and we can do it again.
“The Commission deeply appreciates the ever ending sacrifices made by our staff at all times, often beyond the call of duty, to ensure that we carry out our mandate.
“The management will continue to improve the welfare and conditions of service of staff within the available resources.
“We must be neutral at all times and stick strictly to our code of conduct and oath of neutrality to which we have all subscribed.
“For at the end of the day, we would have all contributed to the sustenance of democracy and a strong electoral process that all Nigerians can trust,” he said.
Yiaga Africa to adopt PVT methodology to check credibility of election results
Yiaga Africa, a civil society organisation says it plans to deploy its Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) methodology to assess the credibility of the Sept. 19, Edo Governorship poll.
Mr Samson Itodo, Executive Director, Yiaga Africa said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
He said the group through its Watching The Vote citizens movement, would also deploy 500 observers to monitor the election.
According to Itodo, the PVT is an advanced election observation methodology that employs well-established statistical principles and sophisticated information technology in providing timely and accurate information on conduct of elections.
He added that the process will monitor accreditation, voting, and counting, and it will independently verify the official governorship results as announced by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“The PVTs are not opinion polls; Yiaga Africa citizen observers do not ask voters for whom they cast their ballot; PVT relies solely on official results from polling units.
“This tested and proven election observation methodology has been deployed in over 50 countries worldwide, including Nigeria.
“Yiaga Africa deployed the PVT in the November 2019 Kogi and Bayelsa governorship election where it detected fraud and manipulation of results collation and declined to verify the official results declared by INEC.
“In a statement jointly signed by the Chair of Yiaga Africa election observation mission for Edo, Dr Aisha Abdullahi, Nigeria’s and Yiaga Africa Executive Director, Samson Itodo, the organisation said it would deploy 500 stationary observers.
Itodo said that the observers would monitor the conduct of the process and provide systematic, accurate and timely information on the Election Day process.
He said specifically that Yiaga Africa would provide accurate information on the quality of the Election Day process and ascertain if the official results announced by INEC reflected the total votes cast.
Itodo explained that since the PVT was based on official results from a representative random sample of polling units, Yiaga Africa would estimate the state-wide results for the governorship election within a narrow range based on well-established statistical principles.
He said that if INEC’s official results fall within Yiaga Africa’s estimated range, then the public, political parties and candidates would have confidence that the official results reflected the ballots cast at polling units.
Itodo, however, said that if the announced results have been manipulated and do not match the polling units’ results, Yiaga Africa would oppose it.
He said that the PVT was a component of Yiaga Africa’s comprehensive election observation methodology spanning the electoral cycle.
“Therefore, in assessing whether the 2020 Edo governorship satisfies the electoral integrity test, Yiaga Africa will consider a range of issues such as shortcomings in the pre-election period.
“The quality of election day processes and the scale and scope of critical incidents.’’
Itodo said that on Election Day, Yiaga Africa would receive 4,500 text messages containing approximately 56,000 individual pieces of information about the election.
He added that the messages would be reviewed and analysed to ensure that the information was complete, authentic and accurate before dissemination.
Itodo said that after poll, Yiaga Africa would issue its estimated projections based on its preliminary data.
He added that on Sunday, Sept. 20, the group would share its preliminary Watching The Vote findings on the conduct of setup, accreditation, voting and counting.
Itodo said that immediately INEC announce the official results for the election, Yiaga Africa would hold its news conference and issue its statement on the election result.
“Yiaga Africa Watching the Vote is “Driven by Data for All Nigerians Beholden to None!”
Anxiety among journalists over fear of kidnap
There is anxiety among journalists covering the Edo governorship election for fear of kidnaps along the Benin -Auchi road and the interior roads in Edo Central senatorial district.
The roads have been notorious for kidnapping and journalists fear that because of the election, there would be fewer police checkpoints as they have all been deployed for election duties.
To forestall such, some of the journalists in Edo have agreed that the way out is to move in convoy.
A reporter with a national medium said “The situation is frightful because along the Hartman farm where kidnapping has been will not be manned because of the election. The way out is for us to move in convoy to reduce the tension”
Meanwhile, not less than 483,796 eligible voters would not be able to vote today because they did not collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
This was contained in a document of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) titled “Delimitation of Edo State”
The State has 18 Local Government Areas, with 192 wards and 2627 polling units.
A further breakdown of the registered voters’
figure showed that the make accounts for 1,159,325 (52 per cent) while the 1,051,209 are females (48 per cent).
Similarly, from the total registered voters, Youths (18 – 35 years) account for 50 percent (1,105,338); Middle Aged (36 – 50 years) account for 29.1 percent (643,551); Elderly (51 – 70 years) has 15.99 percent (353,508); with the Old (70+ years) account for 4. 89 percent (108,137).
Further distribution of registered voters in the three senatorial districts of the state showed Edo South has the highest figure of 1, 281, 414 with the North and Central senatorial districts having 564,122 and 364,998 respectively.
PDP Reps caucus slams seige on governors by security agents
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), caucus in the House of Representatives has condemned the clampdown on its governors by security officers in Edo ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
The leader of the caucus, Rep. Kingsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers), in a statement, said that such activities of security agencies were not acceptable.
The lawmaker said that the duty of security agents is to ensure the safety of lives and property and not to cause chaos in the state.
“The caucus finds the current siege on governors by men of the Nigeria Police force and other security officials as disturbing and unacceptable ahead of the election.
“As a democratic society, Nigerians should be given the right to free movement, association and above all right to vote leaders of their choice to govern the affairs of the state in the interest of the people.
“However, security agencies have abandoned their core duties to laying siege on governors who are out to perform their legitimate duties in Edo.
“The caucus wishes to draw the attention of Mr President to immediately wade into the matter and allow the people of Edo to vote leaders of their choice.
“We also want to use this medium to draw the attention of the nation and the International community of the security siege on PDP governors in Benin City,”
Chinda said.
Chinda said that in as much as governors and other public officials elected on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), had the liberty to stay in Benin City, PDP governors must not be harassed or stampeded to leave the state.
1.7 million to vote in Edo election – INEC
No fewer than 1. 72 million persons are eligible to vote in the September 19, Edo governorship polls while 483, 796 eligible voters will not participate .
This is according to a document obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission titled, ‘ Delimitation of Edo State ’ .
The document shows that the identified ineligible voters in Edo failed to collect their Permanent Voter Cards .
The document further showed that as of August 2018 there are 2, 210, 534 registered voters in the state,
However, only 1, 726, 738 collected their PVCs .
It also indicated that the election will hold in 18 Local Government Areas , 192 Wards, and 2, 627 polling units .
A further breakdown of the registered voters shows that male accounts for 1, 159, 325 ( representing 52 per cent) , while 1, 051, 209 ( 48 percent) are female .
Similarly , from the total registered voters, the youth ( 18 – 35 years ) account for 50 per cent ( 1, 105, 338); Middle Aged ( 36 – 50 years ) , 29. 1 per cent ( 643, 551); and Elderly ( 51 – 70 years) has 15. 99 per cent ( 353, 508) .
Eligible voters classified as the Old ( 70 years and above) account for 4. 89 per cent ( 108, 137) .
According to the number of collected PVCs , Oredo zone has 240, 197; Ikpoba – Okha , 214, 882; Egor , 158, 817; Etsako West , 128, 188 and Akoko Edo , 115, 343.
Further distribution of registered voters in the three senatorial districts of the state shows that Edo South has the highest figure of 1, 281, 414; the North with 564, 122; and Central senatorial district has 364, 998.
Edo South has seven council areas, the North has six , while Central has five Local Government Areas .
Your political lives in danger if APC wins, Wike tells PDP leaders
The Rivers State Governor , Nyesom Wike , has described the governorship election in Edo State on Saturday as a fight for the destiny of the Niger Delta region.
The governor spoke on Thursday during a meeting organised for leaders and elected representatives of the Peoples Democratic Party in Benin, the Edo State capital.
Wike urged them to discard fear and threats of violence as they resolve to participate in all the electoral processes .
He charged them to monitor the distribution of electoral materials and be vigilant to protect their votes .
“ The electoral battle may not be easy . But God is with us . With the people also on the ground, we will win .
“ Let me tell you , God forbid that APC wins; if they do, all of you here would have failed because your political life will be in jeopardy.
“ They will come with federal might, but do not fear because we have the electorate on our side. They did the same in Rivers State ; the people resisted them by protecting their votes, ” he stated .
Wike also expressed the need to mobilise the people of Edo for the gubernatorial election with the aim of liberating the state from godfatherism .
“ This is an opportunity for you to fight for the liberation of Edo State . You must all say enough is enough. One man should not be allowed to continue to insult Edo people . The godfather thinks what he says will always be. This is the time to stop him.
“ We want all the states in the South – South to be united . So , it is the best time to join your kith and kin from other Niger Delta states . This election is a fight for the destiny of the region. Edo State cannot continue to be alone , ” a statement by the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications , Paulinus Nsirim, quoted Wike as saying ,
The governor also said the party representatives had done extensive campaigns from ward to ward and should work together to deliver the PDP during the election .
Wike , who is also the Chairman of the PDP National Campaign Council for Edo State , advised the electorate not to be violent in their determination to liberate the state from godfatherism .
He said party faithful also needed to know how to be part of history in securing the future of the state.
Also , the Edo State Governor , Godwin Obaseki , said the meeting was at the instance of Wike , the Chairman of the PDP National Campaign Council for Edo State .
Obaseki noted that the meeting would address grey areas and other important issues required to secure electoral victory for the party.
Edo State Chairman of the PDP , Anthony Aziegbeme , said they had started to be vigilant and would resist any form of hijack of electoral materials .
Prices of livestock increase in Benin markets
The prices of livestock in Benin have increased due to the governorship election holding on Saturday in Edo.
Most traders interviewed told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent that the increment of livestock, especially chicken, was as a result of the high patronage of customers.
They also said that the increase in prices was due to an announcement that central markets would be closed to customers to prepare for the election
Checks on some shops at Uselu, Oba, Ekiosa, New Benin, and Santana markets on Friday, showed that the majority of the traders stocked more goods because of the high demands.
Aisosa Omobude, a dealer in livestock said that the increase in price as a result of high demand from customers.
“The election holds tomorrow, that’s why customers are buying.
“Usually a medium size chicken is sold for N6,000, but because of the high demand, it is now N6,500,” she said.
Imuetinyan Imatitikwa, a meat seller in Oba market, told NAN that the majority of food sellers bought meat to store in preparation for the governorship election.
According to Imuetinyan, the rainy season also contributes to the increase in livestock patronage in the state.
“Customers buy more livestock this period to store because it is always difficult to come out during the rainy season,” she said.
Chioma Okocha, a customer who spoke to NAN correspondent in Uselu market, said that the increase was not only in livestock.
She said that foodstuff was on the high side due to the election which holds on Saturday.
“I just pray after the election, the prices of foodstuffs and livestock would be normal,” she said.
Lucky Aigbekhan, also a customer in New Benin, said that the market was filled with customers buying foodstuff .
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