Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is working in cahoots with the All Progressive Congress (APC) to postpone the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
He said the game plan is to postpone the election a day before the date in order to destabilize the PDP and make way for the devious rigging plot of the opposition APC.
The governor disclosed this while addressing members and leaders of the State’s chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Benin the state capital.
Obaseki, who noted that the country’s democracy was at risk, called for vigilance to avert plans by the APC to subvert the will of Edo people leveraging on ‘federal might.’
Expressing confidence that the PDP will come out victorious despite the intimidation and harassment of it’s members and chieftains, the governor said, “We will win the next governorship election in Edo State but need to be vigilant as our democracy is at risk. Some people want to destroy democracy in Nigeria.”
He continued: “We refused to sign the peace agreement yesterday because we don't know if what we have presently is the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) or the All Police Congress (APC). This is the new meaning of APC. Why will they be intimidating people? Aligning with APC to intimidate, scare, and oppress citizens of Edo State.
“I arrived from Lagos this morning and
saw a police helicopter in Benin City to carry Comr. Adams Oshiomole. He has been using a police helicopter to campaign, and it's not fair. We all own Nigeria, but how can the police be so partisan in this election? We can’t sit down for them to come and kill all of us.
“They have told us that whether we like it or not, they will use federal might and write the results. We don't have any federal might but have the might of God and the might of the workers of Edo State. I know that the workers in the state will not keep quiet. They have to kill all of us first before they hijack Edo State.”
He added, “On that day, make sure everybody comes out as we are much more than them; don't be scared. They are boasting in Abuja and have all sorts of plans, but we are ready.”
On ploys to postpone the guber polls, the governor revealed, “They plan to postpone the election on the eve of the election to destabilize us. But whenever they postpone the election to, we will win the election. It will be a long fight, but we know it's a struggle.”
He further charged: “I call on all the unions to stand firm to vote and defend their votes. If they refuse to allow us to vote, refuse to count our votes, and refuse democracy in Edo, I have told them that it will be the beginning of a crisis in Nigeria. I am saying this with all sense of responsibility.
“All we asked as Edo people is for the appropriate authority in charge of the election to allow the votes of citizens to count. We are pleading and calling on the international community to take note of what is going on and taking place in Edo State.”
Obaseki added, “APC has not offered us an alternative. They have not campaigned on any meaningful thing we can hold them onto. They don’t have any credible candidates, but all they boast of is federal might. They say they will write the results and we can go to court. We will not go to court because they can’t write the results. If they write the results, they will meet the consequences.”
