Governor Godwin Obaseki has expressed strong reservations about the impartiality of the police in the lead-up to the elections, citing a pattern of bias towards the All Progressives Congress (APC) and aggression against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Receiving General Abdulsalam Abubakar, Chairman of the National Peace Committee, at the Government House, Obaseki alleged that the police have arrested at least 10 high-ranking PDP officials, including the Chairman of Esan West Local Government Area, Hon. Collins Aigbogun, who was detained and transported to Abuja.

The governor claimed that his requests for due process and local handling of the matter were disregarded, undermining his authority as Chief Security Officer of the state.

He also mentioned that two petitions to the Inspector General of Police regarding the harassment of PDP leaders have gone unaddressed.

Obaseki questioned the feasibility of entering a peace accord with an umpire that has demonstrated clear bias towards one party.

He demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the detained PDP officials, insisting that they be charged in Benin City courts if necessary.

This development may lead to the PDP boycotting the scheduled Peace Accord signing on September 12, 2024.

The Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) has come under fire for allocating funds to unrelated projects in its 2024 budget.

According to an investigation by civic-tech non-profit organization BudgIT, CRIN has earmarked N250 million for solar street lights in select areas of Lagos, sparking concerns over the institute’s priorities.

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Further scrutiny of CRIN’s budget expenditure reveals a plethora of unrelated capital projects, including training and empowerment programs in Ondo state (N148.7 million), health center construction in Ondo (N100 million), empowerment materials for women and youths in Rivers state (N100 million), women and youth empowerment in Kano (N200 million), classroom renovations in Rivers state (N200 million), empowerment materials and motorcycles in Osun (N100 million), and solar street lights in Lagos (N250 million).

This controversy comes on the heels of allegations by Senator Abdul Ningi, chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, that the 2024 budget was padded with N3 trillion in the national assembly.

Ningi was suspended for three months over the claim but was recalled on May 28.

The revelations have sparked calls for greater transparency and accountability in CRIN’s budget allocation, with many questioning the institute’s priorities and commitment to its core mandate of cocoa research.

Odion Olaye, Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Edo State, has ignited a firestorm with his provocative remarks while campaigning for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate Asue Ighodalo in Egor, Benin City.

In a video gone viral, Olaye assured PDP supporters of victory in the forthcoming September 21 election, predicting that Egor will fall to the PDP.

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He further stoked tensions by warning that the state “will burn” if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fails to declare Ighodalo the winner.

Olaye said, “I want to assure you that PDP, our party, is going to win Egor 80 percent come 21st of this month and on 22nd of this month, they must declare Asue Ighodalo the winner. If they refuse to do that, Edo state will burn,” he said in the video.

Olaye’s inflammatory comments come amidst a flurry of allegations and counter-allegations by political parties.

The Edo PDP Chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) plans to deploy fake INEC staff to tamper with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

However, Prince Kassim Afegbua, Media Director of the APC Campaign Council, has dismissed the allegation as baseless.

The developments have heightened tensions ahead of the keenly contested gubernatorial poll, with stakeholders calling for calm and restraint.