The forthcoming governorship election in Edo State is fraught with dirty politicking of the highest magnitude as the contending parties engage in smear electioneering tactics alien to decency in their desperation to undo one another
By Augustine Ojeikhoa
The wife of the Edo State sitting governor, Betsy Obaseki fired the first salvo. At a rally of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the political platform on which her husband, Godwin Obaseki, ascended the Government House the second time as the governor of the state, at Igueben to sell the party’s governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, to the people of that section of the state, Betsy had in her deliberate quest to de-market other major opposition party’s candidates dropped the bombshell to the effect that only the PDP candidate had a wife. “Of all the candidates contesting in the election, only one has a wife”, Betsy had said in veiled reference to Monday Okpebholo and Osaigbovo Akpata, candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP) respectively.
There is no constitutional provision that compels a governorship candidate in an election to declare his wife before contesting in the election. What is regarded an attack on the private life of Okpebholo was to incite his handlers chiefly among them being Senator Adams Oshiomhole, a former National Chairman of the APC. Oshiomhole was ostensibly taken aback by the level of what has been referred to as gutter electioneering orchestrated by the state governor’s wife.
In retaliation, Oshiomhole had sought to hit the Obasekis below the belt by revealing that whereas Okpebholo has three successful children, governor Obaseki and his wife Betsy have no children of their own, and have failed to adopt children. In a viral video, Oshiomhole said, “I was shocked, yesterday, to see the First Lady, Mrs Obaseki, saying that our candidate has no wife. I am sorry she has to say that, because here is a woman that has no child. Between her and Obaseki they have no child, they’re childless.
“They’re even not ready to adopt. I don’t blame anybody if you don’t have a child, but people who have love for children, they go to motherless babies home and adopt children. Until now they have not adopted, they’re both in their sixties.
“You married, I don’t know whether it’s a contract marriage or whatever, but they have no child.
“Now our candidate not only have children, he has invested in the education of those children”.
The Oshiomhole outburst had rattled the Obasekis endlessly.
A member of the PDP in the Edo State, Don Pedro Obaseki, disclosed that the current Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Nimo Edwin-Iwo was Nyesom Wike’s classmate in secondary school and at university level and as such, the commissioner of police in Edo State cannot be trusted with the duty of overseeing peaceful gubernatorial election in Edo State.
Don Pedro Obaseki made this statement in a recent interview, stating that the“federal government appointed a classmate of Nyesom Wike as the Commissioner of Police in Edo State. We have said that Nimo Edwin-Iwo cannot superintend over peace in our state when he is Nyesom Wike’s ally.”
Don Pedro Obaseki went on to say that another ally of Nyesom Wike was also appointed the electoral commissioner for Edo State. “It is important to note that Don Pedro Obaseki claimed that Nyesom Wike declared himself the number one enemy of Edo State and as such, appointment of his allies into strategic positions ahead of the forthcoming election is wrong.”
There were heavy protests in Benin City, the Edo State capital on Tuesday September 10, 2024 as thousands of supporters of Governor Godwin Obaseki and the 18 local government area chairmen under the aegis of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (APGON) protested along major streets up to the State Command Headquarters of the Nigerian Police as they protested the arrest of the chairman of Esan West local government area, Hon Collins Aigbogun over allegation that he orchestrated violence in his area that led to injuries when the All Progressives Congress (APC) went there to campaign.
The Edo State Government also raised the alarm that the opposition APC in the state was targeting the PDP leaders in the state, adding that over 10 PDP leaders, including the Chairman of Esan West Council, were being kept in a dungeon on APC orders.
Briefing newsmen in Benin, the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation called on security agencies to halt the continuous arrest of Edo PDP leaders and supporters ahead of the governorship election.
There have been worrying signs of indifference and potential disruptions to the peaceful conduct of the September 21 governorship election. This came as the ruling PDP and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, declined to sign a peace accord presided over by former military head of state, General Abdulsalam Abubakar (rtd). The party, according to Abubakar, said it would sign its portion of the accord in Abuja if its conditions are met.
However, the All Progressives Congress (APC), which had previously said it might not sign the peace deal, and 15 other parties, eventually consented. The APC had initially threatened to boycott the peace meeting unless the security agencies apprehended the individual responsible for the death of Inspector Akor Anuh, one of the security personnel assigned to the party’s governorship candidate, Monday Okpebholo.
Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki had indicated that the PDP would not sign the accord because party leaders were arrested and taken to Abuja on false charges. He accused the police of bias, saying they were working against the interests of the PDP and in favour of the APC.
The peace pact aims to prevent candidates and political parties from making public statements, pronouncements, declarations, or speeches that could provoke violence, especially those involving religious, ethnic, or tribal tensions before, during, and after e
