Edo Elections: Obaseki Accuses INEC and APC of Rigging Conspiracy, Threatens to Challenge Election Postponement

The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) allegedly in cahoots with the All-Progressives Congress, (APC) of plotting to postpone the September 21, 2024, governorship election on the eve of the exercise. A tough-talking Governor Obaseki also warned of dire consequences should the election be rigged, warning that “it will be the beginning of a crisis”.

Obaseki, who levelled these allegations on Friday while addressing members and leaders of the state’s chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress, (TUC) said the game plan was to destabilise the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and make way for the “devious rigging plot” of the opposition party.

Obaseki, who noted that the country’s democracy was at risk, urged for vigilance to avert plans by the APC to subvert the will of Edo people leveraging ‘federal might.’

The governor, who expressed confidence that the PDP would win the election despite alleged intimidation and harassment of its members and chieftains, 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.”

According to Governor Obaseki, “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 Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. 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. 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.

“They plan to postpone the election on the eve of the election to destabilise 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.

“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.”

Governor Obaseki posited that the “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 candidate, 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.”