Governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party have said they won’t tolerate rigging in the Edo and Ondo states’ governorship elections holding on September 19 and October 10,2020 respectively.

They therefore called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies to be  impartial in the conduct of the two elections.

The governors reached the decision on Saturday after a virtual meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum presided over by its Chairman and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal.

Apart from Tambuwal and the forum’s Director-General, CID Maduabum, other PDP governors who attended the meeting were the Abia State Governor and the forum’s vice-chairman, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu; Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa); Senator Bala Mohammed (Bauchi); Prof Ben Ayade (Cross River); Nyesom Wike (Rivers); and Dr Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta).

Others were David Umahi (Ebonyi), who was represented by his deputy, Mr Eric Igwe; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu); Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Bello Mattawale (Zamfara); and Godwin Obaseki (Edo).

It was the first meeting Obaseki attended with fellow PDP governors since his defection to the party on June 19 after he was disqualified from the primary election of the All Progressives Congress.

The PDP-GF formally welcomed Obaseki and congratulated him on his emergence as the party leader in Edo State and the party’s candidate in the forthcoming governorship election.

Meanwhile, one of the governors at the meeting told one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity that the governors decided that they would not accept the outcome of any election considered to have been rigged in the two states.

He said the governors also believed that INEC, as the electoral umpire, should be allowed to do its job without any hindrance from either the security agencies or any interested party.

Unlike the Kogi State governorship election which he described as being held under “a rancorous atmosphere,” the governor called on the security agencies, INEC, and the President to act in the best interest of the nation.

Run responsible campaigns, INEC tells political parties

Reacting, INEC called on political parties to run what it described as responsible campaigns.

The INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye, who spoke with one of our correspondents, also said the commission was ready to conduct free and fair elections.

He said, “The commission is irrevocably committed to the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections. The commission’s commitment is exemplified in its creative, innovative and dynamic response to the challenge of conducting elections in a novel pandemic environment accentuated by fear, anxiety and uncertainty.

“The commission is marching forward courageously and cautiously in its preparations for the conduct of the Edo and Ondo state governorship elections and the 15 pending bye-elections.

“We urge political parties, aspirants and the candidates in these elections to run responsible and responsive campaigns that anchor the health and safety of the electorate as the epicentre of democratic governance.”

We are campaigning to win – APC

Also reacting, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, said the PDP was simply afraid of its shadow.

He said, “Our party is known for introducing the ‘one man, one vote’ system of elections. Until 2015, when their rigging machine failed, the PDP only knew how to rig itself to power through the manipulation of government agencies, vote-buying; and when those failed, they used brute force.

“Nigerians rejected their tactics in 2015 and 2019. Our people are now better informed and prepared to reject any attempt to return to PDP ways. Edo people know the difference between the APC and the PDP. They will vote APC any day. For us, we are campaigning to win, and by God’s grace and the support of the people, we will win the two states.”

Ize-Iyamu knocks Obaseki over N750m monthly security vote

Meanwhile, the APC governorship candidate in Edo State, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, on Saturday decried the alleged collection of N750m as monthly security vote by the PDP candidate, Obaseki.

The APC candidate also accused Obaseki of making the state House of Assembly increase his (Obaseki’s) security vote from N500m to N750m.

Ize-Iyamu, who spoke at a media parley in Benin City, Edo State capital, alleged that only N5m was given to the state police command monthly, adding that the “paltry money” was making it difficult for the security agency to effectively tackle kidnapping, banditry and other crimes in the state.

He said the police could not combat crime with such a meagre amount of money, adding that since the governor allegedly decided to increase his security vote, he should have also done the same for the police.

Ize-Iyamu also accused the state government of failing to account for the N5bn loan it received from the 2018 Central Bank of Nigeria Agricultural Credit Scheme.

He said while the state government claimed to have spent N2.8bn out of the loan meant to assist farmers in clearing their farmland, the details of the farmers to whom the balance of N2.2bn was shared had remained a mystery.

“The over N2bn supposedly invested in Sobe Farms, in Sobe, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, is a complete hoax. 

Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu families clash over endorsement

Families of Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu have clashed over the endorsement of the latter by the former’s families.

Prominent members of the Obaseki family had on Saturday endorsed and pledged their support for Ize-Iyamu.

According to a statement, this happened when the governor’s family visited the APC candidate at his private residence in Benin City.

Speaking at the meeting, a cousin of the governor, Victor Obaseki, said although the PDP candidate was their kinsman, he would not get their support.

According to an email from the spokesperson for the Edo State Governor, Crusoe Osagie, Idia’s family representative, Pa Aimua Osenwende, reportedly said, “She has invested so much in her marriage to Osagie Ize-Iyamu. We are a noble family, known for honour in Benin City and we would not want our family name to be dragged in the mud with her husband.

“We know the APC candidate (Ize-Iyamu) will not win this election because he is clearly not a good candidate. Obaseki is the name on everybody’s lips in Edo State. So we do not want our daughter to share in the calamity on September 19.

“So we have told her that she has done enough and should distance herself from the electioneering, Osagie, her husband, has nothing to lose, but our daughter has so much to lose to the APC’s shenanigans.”

Obaseki’s aide denies governor’s rift with deputy

In the meantime, Obaseki’s aide, Osagie, on Saturday denied reports that there was a clash between the governor and his deputy, Mr Philip Shaibu.

There were reports that Shaibu engaged in a war of words with Obaseki at a leadership meeting Thursday following what was described as the failure of the governor to release funds for the election.

It was gathered that trouble started when the governor commenced the meeting by saying all hands must be on deck for them to defeat the APC, but Shaibu was said to have told the governor that he (Obaseki) was not serious about winning the election.

He was said to have reminded the governor that he had failed to fund the different committees set up in the past two weeks.

Shaibu reportedly lamented that the opposition APC had been busy campaigning while nothing was happening in the PDP.

However, in a statement titled, ‘No clash between Obaseki and deputy,’ Osagie said the falsehood could only have emanated from the APC.

Nigeria has lost direction, needs honest leadership –Secondus

The PDP chairman, Secondus, says Nigeria has lost direction and requires prayers and honest leadership to come out of the challenges bedevilling it.

Secondus, who said this in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, on Saturday during the inauguration of the PDP Secretariat in the state lamented that Nigerians were being killed on a daily basis.

Commending the state governor, Udom Emmanuel, he said, “With a secretariat that is competing with the national one, Your Excellency, this shows the manifestation of your leadership. When followers show faith in their leader, it means the leader has done well.

“Our country today needs leaders who will be truthful, honest and trusted and by the grace of God, you are one of them. Nigeria has lost direction. People are killed on a daily basis.

Also speaking, Emmanuel said party members where looking up to the PDP at the national level to take over governance of the country, stating that the party was still waxing strong.”

Emmanuel said the party secretariat was completed with 100 per cent direct labour, adding that the outgoing state PDP chairman, Mr Paul Ekpo had achieved his purpose through the completion of the secretariat.

“PDP can only get stronger. It would have been unfair if the PDP did not put up something like this in Akwa Ibom State because this is the only party that has propelled the state. We look forward to the national level to deliver Nigeria back to PDP,” he said.