I prayed to ancestors for Oshiomhole to win – Bini monarch

Benin monarch, Oba Erediauwa.

BENIN CITY – Benin monarch, Oba Erediauwa, yesterday, July 17, 2012, said he prayed to his ancestors and God Almighty to give Governor Adams Oshiomhole victory in last weekend’s election, so that he can complete the laudable projects his administration had started.

The monarch spoke when Governor Oshiomhole and his deputy, Dr Pius Odubu, visited him in his palace, where the governor presented his Certificate of Return to the Oba.

Before the Oba spoke, he brought out a special kola and hot drink, which he mandated the Iyase of Benin kingdom to pray with for the second tenure of Oshiomhole.

In his prayers, the Iyase thanked God and the ancestors for ensuring victory for Oshiomhole and prayed that the gods will provide the wherewithal with which the governor will use to continue his infrastructural development.

Addressing the governor, the Oba said, he had always prayed for the success of the governor privately but that he had now decided to address him publicly now that God and the ancestors had given him victory.

He said: “I have addressed you privately and prayed for you for your second term. You are welcomed to my palace. We have watched what you have done, like what the media is saying that your hand work is going to campaign for you. I prayed to my ancestors for you too and every body has seen what you are doing for the people.

“Some of the roads that were- left in a bad state, we have seen what you have done. And, of course, not only Benin Kingdom but the entire state, infrastructural developments are going on. The last time you came, I prayed to the ancestors to assist you come back to complete the works your started.  As my Chief was praying, he added in his prayers that God and the ancestors should provide you the wherewithal to carry on with your infrastructural development and do more.”

Earlier, Oshiomhole thanked  the Oba for the support to his administration and assured that he would use the resources of the state to build a new Benin City in his second tenure.

 

3 police officers, INEC official feared dead

Burial ground

… voters protest

BENIN CITY- THREE police officers and an INEC registration official were feared dead Saturday at the riverside community of Ajoki, near Ologbo, in Edo State, when the boat with which they were transporting electoral materials for Saturday’s governorship election capsized.

The police officers involved in the tragedy were two inspectors and one constable. The entire electoral materials were however, destroyed during the incident, throwing the community into mourning.

Meanwhile, over 300 eligible voters protested the exclusion of their names and photographs from the INEC voter’s register  at Unit 17, Ward 12 in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo state, during Saturday’s governorship election.

The angry citizens caused a rowdy scene at the voting centre as they said INEC should produce the voter’s register that was used for the last Presidential elections, which contained their names and photographs.

Some of them said the use of a voter’s register that did not have their photographs and names for the election was a plan to defraud them and insisted on the old register.

INEC’s Resident Commissioner in the state, Mr. Kassim Gaidam, later rushed to the unit to pacify the citizens, who insisted that the old register with their names and photographs should be produced.

INEC could not, however, produce the voter’s register in question, but the agents of the political parties subsequently agreed that only the 66 persons whose names and photographs were found in the register should vote.

INEC has failed, cries Oshiomhole

INEC has failed, cries Oshiomhole

 

Edo state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole says INEC has failed in its responsibility to conduct a free poll in the state, warning of impending trouble if  the true winner of the polls is not declared.

The  governor who gave the warning today during an interview with newsmen at the Iyamho primary school, Iyamho, Etsako West Local Government Area said there can be no winner when the people are not allowed  to vote.

 “They plan not to bring out the voting materials on time and as we speak in Oredo Local government area, Benin City and Egor local government area, the heart of Benin City materials have not got to majority of the polling booths after 11 am and  at the  New Era college upper mission road, they brought fake voters register different from the one the people registererd,” he noted.

According to him “if accreditation is to stop by 12pm and by 11 am, it is after 11 am now, there are no materials  in some polling booths, it then means Prof. Atahiru Jega and INEC  have no plans to conduct election. The whole  idea is to frustrate the people so that they will not be able to vote, and they will declare a fake result.”

The governor maintained that  “Prof Jega and INEC have been an embarrassment to the nation. I am in shock with all the arrangements they have made sensitizing the people, and I told them, INEC need to be sensitized.  INEC is the weakest link in the Nigeria democratic chain. I have no faith in what INEC is doing in Benin City.

“This is designed for where majority of the people are denied the right to vote and this time around I have told them this country either decides on whether to move on or move back, I see sponsored editorials saying whatever  happens we will go to court, but today  we have to sort out the issues once and for all, “ the governor added.

Comrade Oshiomhole said he holds  Prof. Jega responsible for the failure of the election and for disenfranchising the people  as INEC has connived with the Peoples Democratic Party to involve in scientific rigging.

“They planned it and executed it this way. It is a shame that they have programmed this to embarrass the Nigeria nation. If INEC do not allow the people to vote and they pronounce the winner there will be trouble .

He said,  “fifty five percent of voters are in Edo South and forty percent in Benin City, and they think they can deprive the people the opportunity to vote.”

In his words, “ Prof. Jega has failed up because I wrote a petition that they are buying voters card. We will all go to court before God. They know that if it is two people remaining they will not vote for them”

Women waiting for INEC Officials At Ekpenede Primary School Ward in Benin during the Edo Governorship Election on Saturday (14/7/12).

Tension in Edo, as ACN, PDP mobilize for support

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of the ACN

…As armed soldiers take over streets
BENIN CITY- POLITICAL tension heightened in Edo state, as leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), relocate to their villages ahead today’s governorship election in the state.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of the ACN will be slugging it out with Gen. Charles Airhiavbere of the PDP and Solomon Edebiri of the ANPP. But a public opinion poll on the Edo State governorship election conducted by an Abuja-based Centre for Public opinion and Media Research has placed Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the ACN ahead with 75.8 per cent.

The straw poll in which 2, 920 respondents who are registered voters were sampled in 30 towns and villages across the three Senatorial Districts in the State, placed the PDP and its candidate, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (rtd)  second with 14.1 percent.

The ANPP and its candidate, Chief Solomon Edebiri came third with 1.2 percent while the CPC candidate, Elder Roland Izevbuwa who has already stepped down for Governor Oshiomhole, came fourth with 0.3 percent.

Voters who could not make up their minds were 8.1 percent or 236 of the population sampled.Of the total figure sampled, 532 were from Edo North, 247 from Edo Central and 1,433 were from Edo South.

Analysis of the figure shows that 58.7 of those sampled were males while 40.8 percent were females. Besides, 77.3 percent of the respondents believe that INEC will conduct free and fair election while 22.7 said no. Also, 63.3 percent of the respondents said they have no reason to fear violence at the election, while 36.7 percent entertain fear at the election.

In order of preference, the respondents considered health issues first with a percentage of 30.9, Education followed with 23:1, Job creation, 20.3; security 8.2, Roads, 14.1 and others 3.4 percent.

According to the project consultant, Mr. Tony Abolo 118 interviewers drawn from the University of Benin, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and Auchi Polytechnic carried out the straw poll.

Managing Director of Agama Environment and Energy Services Limited, the firm that carried out the poll, Mr. Peter Ritchie explained that the poll has an error margin of between 10 – 15 percent.

However, some ACN youth leaders have gone under ground following threats that they will be arrested and flown to Abuja few hours to the election. The opposition see those youth leaders as troublesome and decided to get ride of them to ensure that they are caged before the election.

There was a reported clash at the early hours of yesterday at Owan West Local Government Council of the state following attempts by some security agents to arrest some ACN youths. One of the youth leaders (names withheld) who was detained but later released after the ACN youths in the area vowed to engage the security agents in a physical fight if the youth leader was not released, told our source that “the opposition brought their Federal might to arrest some of us so that we will not be around for the election.

“They threw up charges against us but we insisted that it will not happen. They held me for few hours before I was left alone”.

Meanwhile, some people involved in the buying and selling of voter`s cards in Edo Central were arrested Thursday night. However, the national leader of one of the contending parties fought doggedly for their release.

Our source observed that the camps of Oshiomhole and Airhiavbere are mobilizing their men both financially and otherwise to ensure victory for their respective camps. It was observed that the two political parties screened their agents carefully in order to avoid any form of sabotage.

But the ACN is seriously being threatened in Oredo and Ovia North East, due to the presence of the Business mogul, Captan Hosa Okunbor and the Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion respectively in those councils.

However, information available to our source indicates that the leadership of the ACN are aware of the problem and are making frantic efforts to ensure they defeat the PDP in these areas. Oredo is the heart of the city but it has always been an ACN territory. But the PDP governorship candidate, Gen Airhiavbere will vote here today in his ward one.

As the people of Edo state go  to the polls today, Oshiomhole is expected to cast his vote in his village in Iyamo while the ANPP candidate Edebiri will be voting in his Igbogbe ward in Uhunmwonde.

The state Commissioner of Police, Femi Adenaike, said the police command is ready for the polls. “We are ready, look around and see policemen every where. We are going to police the 192 wards in the state and any body trying to make trouble should have a rethink because we will not tolerate any form of thuggery like the Inspector General of Police warned when he visited the state”.

There is military presence every where in the state and soldiers are expected to man strategic points in the state, particularly areas considered as flash points. Oredo, Ikpoba Okhai, Ovia North East, Owan East and West, Ekpoma, Igueben,  Ubiaja and Etsako Central are areas considered as flash points in today’s polls (July 14, 2012) .

 

Chief Solomon Edebiri, ANPP`s candidate

Nigerian Soldiers

Gen. Charles Airhiavbere of the PDP

We’re ready for Edo guber poll – Jega

Professor Attahiru Jega, INEC Chairman

BENIN CITY— CHAIRMAN of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, yesterday, arrived Benin City, Edo State, for a stakeholders’ meeting ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in the state and assured Nigerians of the resolve of the commission to conduct a free, fair and credible election.

Jega who arrived Benin Airport at 3:15pm, also gave reasons why some civil society organisations were not accredited to monitor the poll, saying that those complaining that they were not accredited either did not meet the requirements of the commission or they failed to apply within the stipulated time.

Readiness of the Commission

On the readiness of the Commission to conduct a free and fair election in the state, Jega said “we are in Edo State in fulfillment to the promise  we made to Nigerians in general and the people of Edo State in particular to ensure free, fair and credible election.

He said: “We have been working day and night and we have been doing our best to ensure that there was indeed, a free, fair credible and peaceful election in Edo State. We have done everything possible based on the rules and regulations to promptly accredit observers for the election in the state. Our mission here is to ensure peaceful election. I am here to make sure that things were done as planned before the election on Saturday.

Meeting with stakeholders

“We are also to meet with the stakeholders because we normally do so. Before elections, we meet with stakeholders, brief them on our last minute preparations and if they have any last minute questions or complaints, we address them.”

Civil society groups

On why some civil society organisations in the state were not accredited, the INEC boss explained, “we had used the same procedures to accredit observers in all the elections we held in INEC since the April 2011 elections. We applied that criteria rigorously, we normally advertise and people are given time within which to apply.

“Any body who did not apply within the time allocated will not be considered and that was what  happened in this regard. We did not deliberately exclude any body, any body who had not been accredited to observe the Edo election or indeed all other elections, it was because they had not satisfied the requirements for accreditation for the elections. We heard stories being bandied about, that we did not accredit any Edo civil society organisation, that is false, we have accredited many Edo civil society organisations.

“But some did not meet the requirements, it is either they did not meet on time, or the criteria we set out, they did not meet it. Any body who did not comply with that criteria, we did not accredit. It is not the first time we are doing so. we have done it in all previous elections. We only accredit people who met the criteria we set for the elections,” he said.