Amid protest by opposition parties, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, weekend, won all the 18 local government council areas, where elections were conducted by the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC).
The state electoral commission, led by retired Justice James Oyomire, declared the results, saying the PDP emerged victorious in all 18 Local Government Areas of the state.
But Governor Godwin Obaseki, has said the performance of the PDP in Saturday’s council election was a proof of the party’s dominance, adding that the outcome also reflected the wish of the majority of Edo people.
Seven political parties had initially registered to participate in the elections, but four parties, namely, the Action Alliance (AA), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Accord (A) and African Democratic Congress (ADC), later collapsed their structures for the PDP.
Announcing their withdrawal from the elections at a press conference Friday morning, the parties cited the need to support Obaseki to enable him deliver democratic dividends to the people for stepping aside from the election, as reason for their actions.
The communique was signed by Hon. Osaro Uwaifo, Action Alliance (AA); Hon. Omorogbe Joseph, Accord (A); Hon. Charles Ogieriakhi, Allied People’s Movement (APM) and Hon. Frank Osifo Africa Democratic Congress (ADC).
The three parties that eventually participated in the Council elections were the ruling PDP, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP).
But the APC and the LP had protested the conduct of the elections.
Chairman of the APC, David Imuse, described the elections as scam.
He said, “This election is a scam, it is a charade. They brought insufficient ballot papers but no single result sheet. How can you conduct an election when there is no result sheet?
“It is happening right in the entire Edo central senatorial district. I am calling from Ekpoma, the same thing is happening in Esan North East, Esan West, everywhere here, no result sheets and I don’t see how an election can take place without result sheets.”
The Labour Party staged a protest against the elections, with the three candidates of the Benin municipal councils, namely, Egor, Ikpoba-Okha and Oredo announcing their withdrawal from the elections.
The protesters, who stormed the state secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), comprised members of the party in Oredo and Ikpoba Okha Local Government Areas.
They called for the cancellation of the elections, which they described as a scam, even as they announced their decision to pull out of the election, alleging irregularities.
According to them, the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) did not live up to its promise to conduct free, fair and credible elections.
At the same time, the national chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has also condemned the election, describing it as another sad testimony of how a state government could descend so low in attempting to rubbish the gains of democracy.
A statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, quoting Abure, stated that democracy could only succeed when the authorities allow the votes of the people to count and the choice of the voters respected.
“Reports from our agents across most of the polling units in the state confirmed that there were deliberate efforts by the EDSIEC to frustrate voters by ensuring that the electoral officers either came late to the polling units or didn’t show up at all.
“In a few places where the election was held, insufficient ballot papers were brought with no single result sheet. But at the end of the day, results were churned out with the candidates of the People’s Democratic Party returning elected.”
But Obaseki has said PDP’s performance showed the party’s dominance, and that the outcome reflected the wish of the majority of Edo people.
Obaseki spoke to journalists at the Diocese of Benin (Anglican Communion), St. Peter’s Anglican Church, during the 15th memorial thanksgiving service of his father, late Pa Roland Oni Obaseki
The governor was in company with the Secretary to Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq and Oredo Local Government chairman-elect, Dr. Tom Obaseki, among other top government functionaries.
Elated about the outcome of the elections, Obaseki said Edo people were democratically mature as there was no single violence recorded during the electioneering process.
“We have a situation room where we monitored the election process across the State and want to thank the people. You can see that we are democratically mature in Edo State, in terms of the way the election was conducted.
“I was surprised at the diligence of the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC).
I went round and saw the number of polling units mounted by EDSIEC and the various electoral officers in the three metropolitan local government areas and it was quite impressive.
“The turnout was fair as expected and it shows that we can conduct elections without disrupting economic and social activities.
“The people voted and went about their various activities for the weekend. Overall, I believe we have done well. It was a free and fair election. The mass participation and dominance of PDP as a party in the State was clearly exhibited in this election.”
Adibe Emenyonu
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