By Seyi Odewale, with additional report
The Edo State Governor and leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the party is pleased with the commitment of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetoku and Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to ensure a free, fair and credible election in the State.
Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Saturday’s election in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, has pledged that his party will sign the peace accord with other political parties once the Federal Government and the Nigeria Police Force meet all their conditions.
Obaseki said this while addressing journalists after a closed-door party caucus meeting at the Government House in Benin City.
Expressing confidence that the party would win Saturday’s gubernatorial election, the governor said the party was ready for the polls and charged party leaders and members with continuing to mobilize support across the State.
He said, “As a caucus, we are pleased with the current utterances from the security agencies in Nigeria. We want to particularly appreciate the statement issued by the Inspector General of Police, making a commitment to support the peace process and ensure that there is a level playing field for all the players. We endorse his efforts to draft a lot more men to Edo to support the elections on Saturday.
“We are also pleased with INEC so far and have every reason to trust the authorities of INEC and what they are committed to doing. So, our leaders are going to various local governments to continue mobilizing for citizens to come out and support our candidate, who stands shoulder-high above other candidates in the governorship race.
“We want to say that we are ready for this election. From this meeting of the party’s caucus, we have ensured that we have covered all grounds, and our party leaders have all assured me that they are heading back home now to cross the Ts and dots the Is on Saturday.”
Obaseki added, “We are hoping that when the Courts resume tomorrow, Tuesday, September 17th, 2024, all our people who have been detained in Abuja all these weeks will be released. If they are granted bail, allowed to come back home to their families and participate in the democratic process, we would consider signing the Peace Accord.”
On INEC’s plans to postpone the governorship election in Edo State, the governor noted that “the Chairman of INEC has promised that the election will be held on Saturday, September 21st, 2024, so we have no reasons to doubt his words.”
For his part, the Chairman of the PDP in Edo State, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, said, ‘After some hours of deliberations, the party’s State caucus reviewed and endorsed all the programs put together by the party thus far.
“It was a deliberate and exhaustive conversation. A few areas that need to be covered have been noted. We wish to State that the PDP in Edo State is ready for the election and believes very strongly that the programmes we have put together will lead us to victory.”
He added, “Edo people should not be afraid to come out on September 21st to cast their votes. We believe that we are one and nobody will come to hurt anybody. We are brothers and sisters in the polling units, and together, we will make the right choice, and Edo will be better for it. We are confident that the Edo people will vote for PDP and Asue Ighodalo.”
Similarly, Ighodalo, a Channels Televisions Politics Today guest, lamented that some PDP members have been arrested and detained without being charged in court.
He said that once his supporters are released, his camp will not hesitate to sign the peace accord already signed by the other parties involved in the election.
“We had several conditions. Most of the conditions have now been met, with one left. Many of our guys have been held unjustly.
“We think if you hold guys, you charge them or let them go on bail. So, either they charge all our guys and we are represented, or let them go on bail. Once that is achieved, we will sign the peace accord,” Ighodalo said.
The PDP candidate cited a lack of a level playing field as the major reason his party declined to sign the peace accord, but he acknowledged that the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has now assured the party of neutrality.
“We saw a lot of our supporters being harassed, being intimidated, we saw thugs from the other party – everybody saw them on TV with weapons, none of those guys were arrested.
“We have a reason to feel intensely harassed and intimidated. Based on that, we felt strongly that we would not sign the peace accord unless a level playing ground were created.
“But today we feel a bit better; the Inspector General of Police has given us his assurance and his word as a man of great honour that we will have a level playing field,” he said.
He maintained that his camp preached non-violence, which will never change.
On Thursday, all political parties participating in the Edo election signed a peace accord to shun violence. Still, the PDP declined to participate in what has become a pre-election ritual in Nigeria’s electoral space.
