THE coming 2016 Gubernatorial Elections rescheduled for September 28 (two weeks from now) is already attracting palpable tension, fear and reaction from Edo natives who are already angry

and agitated over dangerous plans to muzzle the authourity of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and use State apparatus to manipulate the outcome of the result. 

Going by information reaching our correspondent, it was gathered Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole allegedly sensing that INEC was earlier adamant to hold unto its independence in staging a clean, clear, free and fair election which may not favour the incumbent leading All Progressives Congress, APC had resorted to Plan B.

Complaints were made by Oshiomhole administration to Aso Rock, while the police and Nigeria’s Secret Police, DSS, were summoned to ensure victory at all cost for the APC, so that the outcome will not favour the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, represented by Pastor Ize-Iyamu.  

Oshiomhole had earlier solicited the support of His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa in the rescheduled election when he visited Oba of Benin Palace, but sources among the Kingmakers confided in our correspondent that visibly angry Prince Eheneden told Edo State Governor to his face that Edo tradition cannot be politicized, as the custom and tradition of Edo is sacrosanct.  

Sources in the Palace said: “ His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa is not happy with Adams Oshiomhole, Edo State Governor at all. What rights has the governor to shift the installation ceremony for the Crown Prince earlier slated for September 20 to September 28? The Crown Prince knew that Oshiomhole purposely did that so that the presence of Nigeria Police and DSS all over the place on same day of September 28 would be their best timing to manipulate the outcome of the election. No way, Edo people are wiser. They can never fall into the state government trap. We are all voting massively for Pastor Ize-Iyamu on the platform of PDP. We can not and would never vote APC’s gubernatorial candidate, Godwin Obaseki.”

In a press statement made available to journalists in Benin City, the National Commissioner in charge of voters Education and Publicity, Soyebi Solomon said the decision to postpone the election was reached at a security meeting held with security agencies on Thursday evening.

He‎ noted that the commission has successfully implemented 12 out of 14 conditions set for a successful election but however received official communication from the police and DSS drawing their attention on the need to postpone the election.

He said, “However at about 6pm today the commission received official communication from the police and DSS drawing it’s attention to the need to postpone the Edo governorship elections. Such postponement the communication indicates is necessary in view of threats of terrorists activities in Edo State and other states of the federation during the election and over the Sallah period.

“‎The deployment of security personnel country wide to secure lives and property would over stretched their capacity to at the same time provide adequate security for the election.

 “‎Consequently the commission notes the request of the security agencies and considering the security implications of proceeding with the election the safety of Eligible voters, electoral officials, including ad-hoc staff and other stakeholders has decided to reschedule the Edo governorship elections to Wednesday 28 September 2016.

“The commission enjoins all eligible voters in Edo State, political parties, candidates and other stakeholders to be peaceful and law abiding”

But our undercover investigation showed that the decision of INEC to postpone the Edo State governorship election originally scheduled for tomorrow came out of the blues after the election management body initially resisted the urge by the police and the Department of State Services, DSS.

In first snubbing the advice of the two security agencies, the INEC had sought to portray its independence given its claim that it had prepared and already deployed its men and logistics for what it had promised to be the best election in recent times.

The Transition Monitoring Group, TMG which had already deployed in Benin was also quick to flay the call by the security agencies saying it was a throwback to a similar counsel by the security agencies just before the 2015 Edo election .

 Speaking to newsmen in Benin, the chairperson of TMG, Dr. Abiola Afolabi-Akiode said:”This clear interference in the electoral process by security agencies is a throwback to the 201’5 general election, which was postponed at the behest of the nation’s security chiefs. We feel strongly that this tendency could undermine the confidence of voters and precipitate apathy and capable of building tension in the electoral space. This could lead to electoral violence, which the security agencies are supposedly trying to prevent.”

The postpone-not postpone postpone drama between the security agencies and INEC was itself like a circus that kept many stakeholders enraptured for most of yesterday.

INEC officials at the beginning of yesterday had quietly pushed to go ahead with the elections irrespective of the security advise which most members of the civil society and even the PDP viewed with suspicion.

Meanwhile, Oshiomhole afraid that APC may still lose the re-run Gubernatorial election had quickly hosted the National President of Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Waheed Odusile, where he hammered on alleged plans by PDP to import militants from Niger Delta in helping to decide the outcome of the tensed election in PDP’s favour.

Oshiomhole accused the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and his Delta State counterpart, Ifeanyi Okowa of importing militants into Edo State with the aim of disrupting the governorship elections in the state.

The Governor made the accusation in Benin City said it was shocking that the governors have raised N2bn for the candidate of PDP at a time the states could not pay salaries of workers.

Edo Natives rain Invectives, Place Curses on Oshiomhole for Deceit

In a series of interactions with some natives of Edo State in Benin City, they all expressed disappointment in the embattled governance of Oshiomhole. According to Ose Ibhadieagbon, an undergraduate of University of Benin, Edo governor has nothing to offer “We never knew Governor Adams Oshiomhole would govern Edo people in lies, mistrust and deceit. You can go round Edo State, I can assure you that every Seven in 10 people will tell you Oshiomhole administration is a huge disgrace to the people. Severally, he has breached his electoral manifesto to us. If we knew, we would never had vote him into power.”

For Ofure Imuegbeagbon, she had harsh words for Oshiomhole. Her words: “If you see a snake on one side, and see Oshiomhole on the other side, better run into the snake’s venom than fall for the grand deceit, lying tongue and manipulative misgovernance of Edo Governor. He has no single idea on how to rule a state effectively. He only performed then as a union leader, not as a politician. Check out Oshiomhole before he became governor and look at him presently. He is a bunch of liar. As he has deceived Edo people, so also will him be deceived in his entire life henceforth.”

“Oshiomhole Failed Edo People in Totality”-Eghare Osamudiame, President, Edo Peoples’ Assembly, Europe

An obviously angry President of Edo Peoples’ Assembly in Austria, Europe has condemned the manoeuvrings of Oshiomhole to allegedly manipulate the outcome of the re-run election. Hear him: “Oshiomhole has outlived his relevance in APC and Edo State. Many of us actually believe in the ideals of APC but totally disagree with the various secrecy, manipulations, nonperformance of his administration. People are suffering in Edo State, dying of hunger. Many of our girls daily are risking their lives in deserts of Libya to cross over into Spain for economic survival since Oshiomhole has nothing to put on the table. Crime rate in Edo State is higher than ever under his government. Yet, he is planning to use Police, DSS to cohesively intimidate the poor masses and instal his puppet-Obaseki whom many of us know to be a Lagos guy with no single trait of Edo custom. Obaseki can not even speak any Edo language fluently. What a shame on Oshiomhole. He has failed Edo people and posterity will judge him for all his evil against our people.”