Obaseki: If Edo guber poll isn’t free and fair, it would trigger crisis in Nigeria 

Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, says the forthcoming governorship election in the state must be free and fair to avoid a crisis in the country. 

In a statement issued on Monday, Chris Nehikhare, Edo commissioner for communication and orientation, said Obaseki spoke on Sunday at a political meeting in the state.

The governorship election in Edo state is slated for September 21.

Nehikhare said the governor’s comment has been misinterpreted by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging that Obaseki is calling for violence.

“The attention of the Edo State Government has been drawn to the negative spin that the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), is fruitlessly attempting to put to the comments made by His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki, at a stakeholders meeting on Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Benin City, the Edo State capital,” the statement reads.

“For the records, we want to restate the comments of the governor on that occasion, which are that ‘If a free and fair election is not allowed to hold sway in Edo State on September 21, 2024, it will trigger a major crisis in Nigeria’.

“Recall that on Thursday, July 18, 2024, ahead of the rally to inaugurate the APC National Campaign Council in Benin City, which was held on Saturday, July 20, 2024, the party assembled a large number of people believed to be thugs, most of them bearing firearms, around the precincts of the Benin Airport on Airport Road, Benin City, to cause mayhem in the state, resulting in the unfortunate death of a police officer, Inspector Akor Onuh, attached to MOPOL 45 Abuja, and the wanton destruction of properties and injuries to several citizens who were going about their lawful businesses.

“The mob then moved around the city, attacking other institutions, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Secretariat, inflicting violence and terror on the lawyers in their secretariat, with one of the lawyers, Mr. Israel Idahosa, being severely injured and his property destroyed.

“They also intimidated and harassed private citizens who were putting on any material that had the insignia of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, within the Benin metropolis.

“As they say, the morning shows the day, and the APC has clearly shown their plan for the September 21 governorship election in the state, which is to cause mayhem, make the state ungovernable, and take advantage of the chaos to manipulate the forthcoming governorship election.

“We, however, want to advise the APC to, for once, read the mood of the nation and understand that with the current hardship, unattainable cost of living, and pervasive hunger in the country, a slightly irresponsible behavior by the political class can ignite a crisis that will have a domino effect and cause a conflagration across the nation.

“This note of caution is even more appropriate with the ominous threat of a nationwide protest with the potential to degenerate into a widespread breakdown of law and order.

“While we urge all Edo people to go about their lawful businesses without fear, we call on the Nigerian Police to do its job and apprehend the hoodlums, most of whom have been positively identified and captured in videos, carrying firearms at the location of the crisis.”

The commissioner said the state government, through “robust security video surveillance, is ready to supply these videos taken in real-time to help the police in their investigation”.