Politics
Edo Guber: Nigeria Will Burn, I Will Lead It – Obaseki
With less than two months until the Edo state governorship election, Governor Godwin Obaseki has warned of possible nationwide unrest if violence like the recent attack in Benin City, which resulted in the death of Police Inspector Akor Onuh, occurs again.
Recall that the convoys of Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Monday Okpebholo were attacked by armed thugs near the Benin Airport gate last Thursday.
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In a video posted online on Sunday, Governor Obaseki addressed a group of PDP supporters, assuring them of his steadfast support in response to the incident.
He said, “We just kept quiet last Thursday; and if they try what they tried last Thursday again, Nigeria will burn.. .and I will lead it, You don’t behave like that.
“We’ve passed that stage. We’re not animals.. . The first time we kept quiet and I told all of you that you are the ones that have something to lose does not mean they should take us for granted.. .
“Those people who did it, they refuse to arrest them, rather they want to come and arrest our boys. Let them try,” he added
This comes barely a month after Olu Martins, the Deputy Director-General (Media) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship campaign organization, was seen in a viral video last Friday, threatening to deal with political opponents of the PDP governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
He had said “If some people leave the party, it will also create space for others. The ones we can beg to stay, we will beg to stay. The ones that did not stay, when we meet, we will beat them. I am sorry, I am a pastor.
“I asked them how Olumide Akpata campaign billboard got to be hoisted at Ring Road. Can you put the banner of another party in Alausa where Tinubu is?
“There are some things I cannot say here. When I spoke to Olukoga, he looked at me and I said from the days of John the Baptist till now, the kingdom suffers violence and the violence take it by force. Who no know go know, who knows too much time, their father.”
Tension is building in Edo State as supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) protested outside the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Benin City, rejecting the partial results of the governorship election released so far.
INEC has announced results from 16 of the state’s 18 local government areas.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) leads with victories in 10 local governments, while the PDP has won in six.
The protesters, chanting and waving leaves, accused INEC of tampering with the results, claiming discrepancies between the official figures and those from polling units.
One protester, identified as Frank, alleged that the results had been manipulated on INEC’s online portal. He called on President Bola Tinubu to investigate the matter.
He said, ” What we are saying is that we will not allow anyone to tamper with the wish of the Edo people. People have voted for our candidate (Ighodalo), and some people want to use the power from above to turn the results upside down. We won’t accept it. No, we won’t.
“We have the authentic results with us, and the ones they announced are different. That means someone has tampered with the results. We will not take it. We are appealing to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in this matter. Some people should not burn our state.”
The political fortunes in the Edo State off season 2024 gubernatorial election continue to swing, with the reinstated Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu and former Governor, Adam Oshiomhole, delivering the Estako West Local Government Area (LGA) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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Results in Etsako West LG which is home to both Shaibu and Oshiomhole saw APC’s governorship candidate, Monday Okpebholo, polling 32,107 to defeat his Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) counterpart, Asue Ighodalo, who got 17,483.
Recall that Shaibu rejoined the APC in the buildup to the election after a long battle between him and his boss, Governor Godwin Obaseki, who anointed Ighodalo ahead of him.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the winner in two local government areas of Edo State.
In Esan North-East, Professor Faruq Adamu Kuta, the Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, announced that PDP candidate Asue Ighodalo received 12,522 votes, defeating Monday Okpebholo of the APC, who garnered 10,648 votes.
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The election saw a total of 24,311 votes cast, with 674 rejected.
Esan North-East LGA Results:
– Registered Voters: 106,280
– Accredited Voters: 24,430
– PDP: 12,522
– APC: 10,648
– LP: 194
– Valid Votes: 23,637
In Ovia South-West, the PDP also emerged victorious, winning by a narrow margin of 110 votes. Ighodalo received 10,260 votes, while Okpebholo secured 10,150 votes.
The total votes cast in this local government area were 22,796, with 1,086 votes rejected.
Ovia South-West LGA Results:
– Registered Voters: 112,091
– Accredited Voters: 23,196
– PDP: 10,260
– APC: 10,150
– LP: 849
– Valid Votes: 21,710
The results were part of the ongoing collation process led by INEC.
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