Comrade John Akhigbe is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and aide to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State. The politician spoke with The Nation on the just concluded general elections and other related issues . Excerpts :
What is your assessment of the 2015 general elections in Edo state?
During the National Assembly elections, there were a lot of intimidations. The military was used by the opposition to scare voters in areas they believe their party was not strong enough to win. For instance, in my area where the APC was sure of victory, I was arrested and detained. But today, we thank God for what happened. We saw soldiers walking into the polling station when I was about voting. They took me away. Many people who saw what happened were scared and they retraced their steps back home because the soldiers cocked their guns and were ready to shoot.
So, the result announced in my place was not the reflection of the wishes of the electorate and that was what they did in the whole of Edo State. But we did what we needed to do and still got the numbers of vote we got. Afterwards, I promised everybody that during the State Assembly election, they will see a different pattern of voting. As I predicted, the April 11 election was more peaceful, free and fair because people voted with out harassment. Though there were little problems here and there, which is normal, but generally, the election was better than what happened on March 28.
Will you say in clear terms that the military was compromised in the first election?
Yes, it was very clear that the military was compromised. I can say they were acting according to instructions. At least, with the way a Private in the Army whisked me away from the point of casting my vote in the full glare of my people, I can say they were compromised. Even when my people wanted to know where they were taking me, they threatened to shoot. They went to another voting center and picked up the local government Chairman, Emmanuel Momoh. They took him away and he was never available until after the election at about 10 pm. During the next election, the power was no longer in the hands of Jonathan; it was no longer in the hand of Dopkesi, so the military obeyed and acted according to the constitution. That was why you saw a more peaceful atmosphere in Edo State on that day.
What do you think of the PDP in Edo state in future?
A member of PDP told me that the only thing that can save PDP is for them to change the name of the party. That name is tainted and nobody will accept PDP again anywhere in Nigeria. That is the truth. PDP is empty now, don’t listen to those saying otherwise. Dan Orbih is my brother. He is from my place. Dan Orbih only live on the name his father had when he was alive as a politician. Dan Orbih has no political base. A state Chairman of a political party who struggles to win his unit. He fights and share money to be able to win his unit. He fight to see how he can win his ward, we are not talking of his local government. We are from the same local government. We have ten wards. A state Chairman is fighting to win his unit and his ward and he will open his mouth and be talking and people will listen to him? They have nothing to say. PDP is finished. We are done with PDP.
Yes they have highest number of senators here in Edo. They have two and they have highest number of House of Representatives members, but the people came out to say no to them during the House of Assembly election because they were unable to intimidate us the way they did on March 28. Some people were even bought over. They gave a young man a car. He came here and dropped the key on my table and said that the car was bought for him by the opposition. They added N2million for him to work at ward 7 in Oredo. Soon, we are going to trace Orbih’s wealth. We are going to look at his account before and after he joined NNPC board. We decided to keep quite because he is fooling himself.
So you don’t think that your people in Edo south voted against APC in the presidential and national assembly elections?
I have told you there was a lot of intimidation in Edo South during the election. The young man who brought car key to my house told me if the Governor can give him appointment, he will return the car. I told him nobody will just give him appointment. I said to him, “if they can buy you aero-plane go and take it. You have taken it already. Why did you not come to me before you took it? These are the things they did to woo our people. I can show you a picture on whatsapp of a man sharing money and never knew his picture was taken. We have to do things and do it properly. Edo people are very intelligent and they are very wise. Nobody can induce them. If you look at Ishan where Anenih comes from,where you also have Tom Ikimi, Ugbesia, and Onolomemen, PDP has nothing to show over there. That is why Anenih’s couldn’t win all the seats there. We shared the seats with them.
Is the party ready to challenge the National Assembly elections at the Tribunal?
Yes we will challenge it. We have evidences that will be produced in the court. I participated in the prosecution of Oshiomohle’s petition from the very beginning for the eighteen months. I participated in sorting out the whole thing. I was there when we were checking form EC8 A, EC8 B, down to EC8 D. We know what the law says in every unit. We are already seeing their flaws. We are already seeing a lot of manipulations . You know this impunity, they cant get away with it. How can you declare a result in a ward where somebody was killed and burnt? We will see how they can hold on to the seats they stole. We will see how PDP got the number of votes they announced for them.