Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has indicated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may not sign the Peace Accord today because the Police are allegedly acting in the interest of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Obaseki spoke when he received the Chairman of the National Peace Committee (NPC) and former Military Head of State, Abdulsalam Abubakar, who was on a courtesy visit to the Government House in Benin City, the Edo State capital, ahead of the signing of the Peace Accord on September 12, 2024.
Meanwhile, PDP chairman in Edo State, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, alleged that associates of the former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, were appointed to act as the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the State and the Edo Commissioner of Police in the lead up to the September 21 governorship election.
The governor, in a statement he signed on September 10, noted that since the commencement of the electioneering process in the State, the steps taken by the Police have shown that they are one-sided.
During his interaction with Abubakar in Benin City, the governor expressed worry that the Police arrested not less than 10 PDP chieftains who they perceived would be strong political opposition to them in the coming election, including the serving Chairman of Esan West Local Government Area, Collins Aigbogun, who was arrested and whisked to Abuja.
He noted that upon learning of the council chairman’s arrest, he reached out to the Edo State Commissioner of Police, asking that due process be followed and that the matter be handled within the State’s jurisdiction, a directive which was flouted, directly undermining his authority as the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the State.
The governor also noted that the PDP chairman had written two petitions to the IGP over the harassment of the party leaders, which has not been attended to.
Obaseki queried how one enters a peace accord with an umpire who, from the onset, has shown bias in favor of one of the parties in the election.
The governor also demanded the immediate unconditional release of the PDP chieftains who were arrested in gestapo style by the Police and whisked to secret holding centres, noting that if these PDP leaders were legally arrested, they should be charged to courts in Benin City.
“The opposition party in the State, the APC has always argued that they may not be as popular and didn’t win in the last election but however promised to use Federal might to determine the outcome of the election,” Obaseki said.
He added: “We thought it’s just rhetoric but in the last four weeks, we’ve had a situation where from the office of the IGP, armed gang policemen have come into Edo State to invade, arrest and take away PDP members.
“Even if an offense has been committed in Edo State, why will you not charge the offenses and try them here in the State. Why take them to Abuja, are the offenses of high treason? Why not charge them to court?
“The IGP’s office came in, issued a warrant to arrest 60 PDP supporters, driving all our leaders into hiding. My role as the Chief Security Officer of the State is being made nonsense of by the IGP.
“I heard somebody was arrested and I called the Commissioner to inform him. He said he will come back to me only to hear that he moved the person to Abuja.”
