Tag: Ighodalo

 The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Jarret Tenebe, spoke  with the Southsouth Bureau Chief BISI OLANIYI on last month’s governorship election and how Governor-elect Monday Okpebholo will ensure good governance,

How will you describe the APC’s recent victory in Edo State?

It is a victory for democracy, the rule of law, the good people of Edo State, and other well-meaning Nigerians who love democracy. What do you expect from the people who lost the governorship election in Edo State? They will say many things, claiming that the election was rigged or the results were manipulated. The September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State was the freest and fairest that I ever witnessed in Edo. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has improved greatly. I hope the officials of the electoral umpire will continue that way. Godwin Obaseki recently conducted a local government election, through his Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (ESIEC), which was a sham. Asue Ighodalo is an inexperienced person. They have taken almost all his money from him. So, what do you expect him to say about the peaceful and credible election? Some lawyers have started deceiving Ighodalo and other leaders of PDP not to accept the results of the governorship election, and not to congratulate Senator Okpebholo. They have urged him to approach the election petition tribunal, to waste his remaining money.

The PDP has accused the APC of rigging the election, in connivance with security agencies and INEC officials. What is your comment on that?

Osaigbovo Iyoha, in connivance with some leaders of the PDP in Edo State, on Thursday, July 18, 2024, at the exit gate of Benin Airport, allegedly murdered police Inspector Onuh Akoh of No. 45, Police Mobile Force, Abuja, who was attached to the then governorship candidate of the APC, Senator Monday Okpebholo (now governor-elect) who arrived from Abuja, in company of Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu. I immediately did a petition on the murder of police Inspector Onuh Akoh to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr Kayode Egbetokun, with Osaigbovo Iyoha prominently mentioned as one of the alleged killers, because he was seen at Benin Airport organising other murderers. All through the governorship campaign and election, Iyoha was hiding. I was surprised to see him at INEC’s State Collation Centre in Benin and was shocked when he introduced himself at PDP’s state collation agent. I blame the police and other security agencies for allowing him to leave the collation centre, without being arrested. How would Iyoha say anything about a process he was not part of?

How true is the allegation that the collations for Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha and Egor Local Government Areas were moved to the State Collation Centre to perfect the rigging?

There was the peace accord which only Ighodalo and Edo Chairman of PDP, Tony Aziegbemi, refused to sign, just because they wanted to unleash mayhem on the peace-loving residents of the state. INEC officials saw that the collation centres at Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha and Egor local governments were unsafe for collation, and they had to move the exercise to the INEC headquarters in Benin. There are exceptions to certain laws. When INEC officials confirmed that going by security reports, many people could die at the three collation centres in Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha and Egor Local Governments, they had no choice, but to do the needful. The security and safety of human beings should not be taken for granted. The PDP lost the election, because of the problem Governor  Godwin Obaseki created within the PDP. He was in APC until June 19, 2020, when he defected to the PDP ahead of the September 19, 2020 governorship poll. But, on joining the PDP, he had problems with most leaders of the PDP. Almost all the people who went with Obaseki from the APC to the PDP left him and to returned to the APC. Were you not surprised that almost all the top politicians Obaseki met in Edo PDP left him and joined the APC? Obaseki was just left with the PDP’s carcass in Edo State, consisting of the party’s standard bearer, Asue Ighodalo; PDP’s deputy governorship candidate, Osarodion Ogie; its Edo Chairman, Tony Aziegbemi; Chief of Staff to Obaseki, Osaigbovo Iyoha; the Director-General of Asue/Ogie Campaign Management Council of PDP in Edo, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen; the Deputy Director-General, Media and Publicity, Asue/Ogie Campaign Management Council, Olu Martins; and some hangers-on. So, what do you expect from such a team? Obaseki is now in exile in Turkey with his wife, Mrs. Betsy. Suppose he did well and performed excellently as the outgoing governor of Edo State, would he have run to seek refuge overseas? I voted in my Etsako West Local Government, where former National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole and Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu hail from. In the previous elections in Etsako West, it had always been between me in APC and Shaibu, then in PDP. The September 21, 2024 governorship election was the first poll in which Shaibu and I came together and worked very closely as leaders of APC; thereby defeating the PDP with a landslide. I have no hand in Obaseki’s April 8 impeachment of Shaibu, who had assisted the PDP in winning the 2020 elections in Etsako West Local Government and other parts of Edo State. We were smart enough to get Shaibu to our side, and he greatly assisted the APC in winning the September 21 governorship election in almost all the 18 local governments of Edo.

Ighodalo has indicated he will approach the election petition tribunal to challenge the result. What is your reaction to this?

No mandate was stolen. We in the APC are happy that Ighodalo is proceeding to the tribunal. We are ready to confront Ighodalo and other PDP members at the tribunal with authentic facts and figures, and we will still emerge victorious. We do not have any fear. Ighodalo’s mission at the tribunal will end up being an academic exercise. Nothing will come out of it. Of course, lawyers, including Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) will encourage Ighodalo to waste his money embarking on litigations. We in APC are not afraid at all.

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The governor-elect has been accused of inability to read and write in English, even though he has a Master’s degree. What is your reaction to this?

Do not mind the drowning leaders and members of the PDP, who are bad losers. The recent governorship election in Edo State has been won and lost, despite the PDP’s propaganda, with the assistance of its partners at Arise Television. Edo governor-elect, Senator Okpebholo campaigned with his five-point agenda, which he is committed to implementing from November 12. I was in Arise Television before the election, and I let the staff know that they were not registered voters in Edo and that Senator Okpebholo would not want to speak with just about 200 people because he was then engaged in a door-to-door campaign in the 192 wards across the state. Do not forget that for the first time since 1999, another political party (APC), outside the PDP, won the Edo Central Senatorial District, which used to be the stronghold of the PDP, and the base of the late Chief Tony Anenih, aka Mr. Fix It. If Senator Okpebholo was not a performing grassroots politician and very popular, how would he have won the Edo Central Senatorial District seat during the 2023 general elections? Even before he was elected, Senator Okpebholo, a businessman,had embarked on several development projects to empower the people of Edo Central Senatorial District, which he now wants to extend to the three senatorial districts of Edo. During the governorship campaign, Senator Okpebholo spoke eloquently in English. But, the opposition PDP and its Arise Television partners accused him of inability to speak and write good English, to demarket him. But they failed so abysmally. It is now obvious that Arise Television is an ally of the PDP. Senator Okpebholo and Asue Ighodalo are from Esanland in the Edo Central Senatorial District. While Senator Okpebholo, a homeboy, was campaigning in Esanland, he spoke both English and Esan languages. But, Ighodalo, a Lagos-based lawyer, could not speak the Esan language, as he needed an interpreter to communicate with his people. How can such a person aspire to govern Edo State? Charity must begin at home. We have sued Arise Television for N5 billion for airing a doctored video in its main news, where the station claimed that Senator Okpebholo promised to provide insecurity in Edo State, instead of his assurance that he would ensure the security of lives and property of Edo residents. We have the original and the doctored videos. We also wrote to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on the professional misconduct of the staff of Arise Television, for the workers and the station to be called to order and possibly sanctioned for spreading falsehood and demarketing the then governorship candidate of the APC, Senator Okpebholo, now governor-elect. It will not be out of place for the NBC to withdraw Arise Television’s licence, over the embarrassment of Okpebholo, a distinguished senator. There will be no out-of-court settlement. We will defeat Arise Television in court, and obtain the damages from the station with mostly reckless and careless staff.

What should Edo residents expect from the incoming administration?

Edo residents should expect good governance, massive development, and inclusive governance because Senator Okpebholo will unite Edo; the state is currently divided, with our traditional rulers not spared. Obaseki declared war against the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, over the looted artefacts returned from some European countries, which was housed at the Benin Royal Museum, opposite the King’s palace. The governor wanted the artefacts to be at the Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA), which he later changed to the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA Edo).

Senator Okpebholo will ensure the safety of lives and property of Edo residents, and pay attention to agriculture, for our people to again go back to their farms, as most farmers are currently unable to return to their farms, because of insecurity. Kidnappers, armed robbers, cultists, and other criminals are having a field day in Edo. He will tackle insecurity and address the flooding in Benin City and its environs. He will provide soft loans for Edo residents, especially women and youths, to support their businesses and other endeavours, thereby empowering them. Senator Okpebholo will not waste time, before setting up his cabinet, to quickly move Edo State forward and attain greater heights.

Edo State is warming up for tomorrow’s govership poll.

Eighteen political parties are in the race.  Yet, the battle is among three political parties – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP). Many  factors that will shape the exercise, are already playing up.

Governors of Edo since 1999

With the return of democracy in 1999, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, of Edo South Senatorial District, who is the son of the Esama of Benin Kingdom, Sir Gabriel Igbinedion, the founder of Igbinedion University, Okada, and the owner of the rested Okada Air, was elected governor. But, his bid to return to the Government House in 2003 attracted protests and uproar among residents, who accused him of poor performance. However, due to his father’s intervention, he was reelected.

In 2007, he installed his successor, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, of Edo Central senatorial District. His tenure was short-lived as the court sacked him.  The court found merit in the case of former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, and consequently declared him as winner. He is from Edo North. He spent two terms as governor.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, hinted that 18 political parties/governorship candidates would take part in the crucial poll.

Yakubu said: “We have already published the final list of candidates. However, there are two adjustments to the list. By court order, the commission has replaced the running mate to the candidate of the Labour Party (LP).

“Similarly, the National Rescue Movement (NRM), which could not file its nomination on schedule, has obtained a court order to compel the commission to include the party on the ballot. We have complied with the court order. Consequently, 18 political parties are now participating in the 2024 Edo State governorship election.”

Redeployment of immediate CP and PPRO

On July 18, 2024, at the exit gate of Benin Airport, there were gunshots, which led to the murder of a police Inspector Onuh Akoh, who was attached to the governorship candidate of the APC in Edo, Senator Monday Okpebholo, who arrived from Abuja, in company with the reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo, Comrade Philip Shaibu, and other top politicians.

Shaibu, a former member of the House of Representatives, erstwhile Majority Leader of Edo House of Assembly, and ex-President of the National Association of Nigerian Students had been impeached by the 24-member Edo House of Assembly, led by Blessing Agbebaku, for showing interest to succeed Obaseki. However, Shaibu, got favourable judgment at the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, which reinstated him, and sacked the hurriedly-inaugurated 37-year-old Chief Godwins Omobayo.

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Strengths, weaknesses of parties and chances of candidates:

Leaders of three – the APC, the PDP and the LP, of the 18 participating political parties: All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) campaigned intensively in Edo’s 192 wards, across the 18 local government areas of the state. The 15 other governorship candidates didn’t. Some of them may be scheming for appointment after the poll.

PDP’s governorship candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, a Lagos-based lawyer, who hails from Ewohimi in Esan Southeast Local Government Area, Edo Central Senatorial District, is accused by opposition politicians of not being a homeboy, and unable to speak Esan language, thereby needing an interpreter, whenever he is in his Ewohimi hometown, where he claimed to have grown up.,  Ighodalo is the godson of Edo governor, Godwin Obaseki.

The standard bearer of APC in Edo, Senator Monday Okpebholo, aka Akpakomiza, a grassroots politician with native intelligence, who is also a businessman, represents Edo Central Senatorial District, where he was embarking on many developmental projects and empowering the people, before winning the election in 2023, may be because he is a political son of the late leader of PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, aka Mr. Fix It, who hailed from Uromi, in Esan Northeast LGA, Edo Central Senatorial District.

APC’s Okpebholo, who speaks Esan and English languages fluently, but being accused by PDP’s leaders of not being able to write or speak in English, challenges Ighodalo to a debate in Esan language, which the standard bearer of PDP is avoiding.

Okpebholo raised the alarm over threats to his life and the lives of his teeming supporters. He alleged PDP’s thugs that shot to disrupt his campaign rally at Ugbekpe-Ekperi in Etsako Central LGA of Edo said: “You will cry for shooting at us.”

The third prominent governorship candidate, Olumide Akpata of LP, who is an ex-President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and hails from Benin Kingdom in Edo South senatorial district as Obaseki, is being distracted by having two state Chairmen in the political party in Edo: Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi, whom Akpata is backing, and a former Speaker of Edo House of Assembly, Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie, being backed by the embattled National Chairman of LP, Julius Abure, a lawyer, and an indigene of Edo Central senatorial district.

The greatest distractions for Akpata are the cases filed against him by the leading governorship aspirant on LP’s platform in Edo, Kenneth Imansuangbon, aka Riceman, in view of his regular distribution of free bags of rice to Edo residents in the three senatorial districts.

The billionaire industrialist (Imansuangbon) filed two cases at the Court of Appeal in Benin and Abuja, while the suit in Abuja’s appellate court was dismissed last week for lacking merit, but vowed to proceed to the Supreme Court to redress the injustice, while judgment is yet to be given in the second suit at the Court of Appeal, Benin.

Running mates

The three running mates of the leading political parties are no pushovers.

Youthful deputy governorship candidate of APC, Dennis Idahosa, a grassroots politician, who currently represents Ovia constituency of Edo state in the House of Representatives for the second time (2019 and 2023). He had defeated Omosede Igbinedion, daughter of the Esama of Benin Kingdom, Sir Gabriel Igbinedion. He hails from Benin Kingdom in Edo South senatorial district with the largest voting strength and seven LGAs, followed by Edo North with six LGAs, while the least is Edo Central that has five LGAs.

The running mate to Ighodalo is Osarodion Ogie, a lawyer, the immediate Secretary to Edo State Government, for who served in Oshiomhole’s administration, first as Chief of Staff (in 2008), and later as Commissioner for Works (in 2012), from Ikpoba-Okha LGA in Benin Kingdom’s Edo South senatorial district.

LP’s deputy governorship candidate, Yusuf Kadiri, SAN, from Edo North senatorial district, is not an experienced politician, and he will have Oshiomhole and other APC’s bigwigs to contend with in Edo North, since “Obidient” movement of 2023 may not work in Edo at this time, in view of the clamour for power shift to Edo central, to ensure fairness, equity and justice.

Obaseki’s performance

Obaseki is being accused by opposition politicians of poor performance and inability to fulfill his campaign promises of 2016 and 2020, while declaring war against almost all APC and PDP’s chieftains that assisted him to win the polls.

He defected from APC to PDP on June 19, 2020, ahead of the September 19, 2020 governorship election. Attempts to take over the structures of PDP, led to political squabble with the National Vice Chairman, Southsouth, of PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, one of the allies of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, a former governor of Rivers state.

The governor is also becoming unpopular with his face-off with the reinstated Edo deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, who is unable to access his office, with Edo governor backing Chief Godwins Omobayo as the state’s deputy governor, while Obaseki is also engaging in a fight to the finish with the eminent first-clash monarch, the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, over the looted artefacts being returned to Benin from most European countries.

Shaibu, threw up a new challenge to Obaseki’s group when he defected to the APC after publicly begging Oshiomhole, a former National Chairman of APC, who was Edo governor between 2008 and 2016, as both of them are from the same Etsako West LGA in Edo North senatorial district.

Clamour for power shift

The indigenes of Edo Central senatorial district are clamouring for power shift to Esanland, to ensure equity, justice and fairness, since Chief Lucky Igbinedion of Edo Central senatorial district (1999-2007) and Senator Adams Oshiomhole of Edo North senatorial district (2008-2016) were Edo governor for eight years each, while Obaseki is about rounding off his eight years from 2016, thereby making it insensitive for Akpata to indicate interest to succeed Obaseki of the same Edo South senatorial district.

IGP’s ban of security outfit

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, on September 11, 2024, at INEC’s stakeholders’ meeting at Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub on Airport Road, Benin, announced the ban of Obaseki-established Edo State Security Network (ESSN) from participating in the provision of security for Saturday’s governorship election, to ensure a level-playing field during the crucial poll.

Egbetokun declared the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other security agencies would ensure free, fair and credible polls in Edo this week Saturday.

He pointed out that the task of securing voters and election material rested squarely on the police, and they would be supported by other national security agencies.

IGP also revealed that 35,000 police officers and men had been deployed in Edo for the crucial election, while 8,000 security operatives from other national security agencies would support the police.

Egbetokun assured that the police would ensure strict compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022 and other laws, so as to ensure a conducive environment for peaceful conduct of the Edo governorship election.

The IGP warned that NPF would not tolerate any act of hooliganism or violence bedore, during and after the election, while persons caught with weapons during the election in Edo state would be dealt with as criminals.

INEC’s readiness

The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, while also speaking at the stakeholders’ meeting, reiterated that the commission was fully ready for the governorship election in Edo, while assuring that there would be no hitch, in order to elect the politician that would succeed Obaseki.

“Edo State now has a total of 2,629,025 registered voters. In our commitment to transparency, the commission has made available softcopies of the entire register of voters to each political party fielding candidates in the forthcoming election.

“As you are aware, elections are a multi-stakeholder activity. INEC has a role to play, but this must be complemented by stakeholders. The 2024 Edo State governorship election is not just a national election; it is also of global interest. The commission has so far accredited 134 groups (124 domestic and 10 international), deploying 1,836 observers across the state.

“Similarly, we have accredited 114 media organisations, deploying 721 journalists. We have also accredited thousands of agents representing candidates and political parties at the 4,730 polling and collation locations made up of 4,519 polling units, 192 ward collation centres, 18 local government collation centres, and the state collation centre.

“I want to assure you that the accreditation tags for all categories of stakeholders are ready. We will announce the date and venue for collection in the next 24 hours. Similarly, election duty vehicle stickers are available for collection from our Edo State office in Benin City.

“Let me reassure stakeholders that INEC is ready for the election. We are deploying the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines for voter accreditation at polling units, and for the upload of results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.”

Peace Accord

On September 12, Peace Accord was signed in Benin, and presided over by the respected former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, in his capacity as the Chairman of the National Peace Committee (NPC), but was shunned by PDP’s Ighodalo and Edo chairman of the governing party, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, who both called for the redevelopment of Edo commissioner of police and the REC of INEC, for the poll to be credible, free and fair.

Desperation:

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007), then of the PDP, who was Nigeria’s military Head of State between February 13, 1976 and October 1, 1979, in early 2007, declared that the crucial elections of April 2007 would be a do-or-die affair, but he regretted the backlash, while he later resigned from the PDP.

Obaseki, a former Lagos-based Investment Banker, on September 14, 2024, while speaking at his party’s mega rally at Garrick Playground, opposite the University of Benin’s (UNIBEN’s) Ekenwan Campus in Benin, which was attended by Obasanjo’s deputy for eight years, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and other chieftains of the main opposition party in Nigeria, also declared that this Saturday’s governorship election in Edo state would be a do-or-die affair.

Edo governor’s unguarded, reckless, inflammatory, careless, inciting and shocking statement was immediately condemned by opposition politicians in Edo, especially the Director of Media of the Campaign Council of the APC in Edo for the September 21 poll, Prince Kassim Afegbua, a former Edo Commissioner for Information; and the Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Prince Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie, a lawyer.

Afegbua stated that Obaseki’s plots and sub-plots were being exposed everyday, and his level of frustration was making him make very reckless statements like a common gangster unbefitting the office of governor.

He said: “Suddenly, the Edo governor is realising that his tenure is drawing to a close, and the orgy of defeat is staring him in the face. He is trying to clutch at flotsam to stay afloat in a voyage to nowhere, having stepped on toes and destroyed the very fabric of our homogeneous communalism.