As political parties have commenced campaigns ahead of the September 19, 2020, governorship election in Edo State, there are signs that there may be violence during the election.
Political pundits in the state believe that recent cases of violence on the political scene in the state at the commencement of campaigns were signs of the violence to expect before, during and after the election.
Strikingly, the two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are already accusing each other of importing guns and thugs to disrupt the election.
The PDP is accusing a former Governor and former National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, of stockpiling arms and importing thugs with the intent to cause mayhem and disrupt the election.
The Deputy Governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, who made the allegation, said the APC resorted to violence and thuggery to set the state ablaze because it discovered that it could not win the election in a free and fair contest.
Shaibu said, “Remember, Oshiomhole is my father, and before now I was living in his house each time I visited the village. I have informants in his house who give me update on a daily basis about happenings in his house,” and added that Edo people were determined, more than ever, to resist the ploy of Oshiomhole.
Shaibu, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail and stop “them” from setting the state on the path of chaos and anarchy.
On its part, the APC has accused Gov. Godwin Obaseki of arming thugs and other non-state actors with newly-purchased guns and weapons to attack innocent people in the state.
In a statement, the spokesperson of the APC state campaign council, John Mayaki, alleged that Gov. Obaseki spent state resources on the procurement of hundreds of high grade weapons distributed to thugs sourced from neighbouring states to join his convoy and inflict violence on dissenters during his campaign across the state.
Mayaki called on the police and DSS to investigate the matter and look into the governor’s security detail for proper identification of all individuals bearing arms to ascertain if they were state actors with legal backing.
Meanwhile, before the commencement of campaigns, the PDP alleged an attack on its supporters who were out on a house-to-house campaign at Irakhor in Etsako Central LGA.
It was further learnt that after the Irakhor attack, hoodlums attacked the residence of the Commissioner for Youths and Special Duties, Hon. Damian Lawani, a staunch supporter of Gov. Obaseki.
The hoodlums, it was learnt, also stormed Lawani’s residence at about 11:00pm on Tuesday, in Udaba Ekperi Community, Etsako West LGA with the belief that the commissioner was at home.
Soon after that, the APC accused the PDP of alleged attack on the party’s deputy governorship candidate, Mallam Gani Audu, and his supporters at Agbede in Etsako West LGA.
After that, there was a violent clash between the supporters of the APC candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, and that of the PDP candidate, Godwin Obaseki, at the palace of the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewure II.
The clash, it was gathered, happened when Obaseki, his deputy, PDP governors, PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, and members of the working committee of the party who were in the state for the campaign flag off visited the palace to seek royal blessing.
It was further learnt that the crisis started when supporters of Obaseki were chanting pro-Obaseki slogans while those loyal to the APC candidate who were at the palace waiting for some APC chieftains allegedly invited to a function at the palace were also chanting slogans to disparage the governor.
There was exchange of gun fire by the loyalists of the duo in what looked like an American film, leading to destruction of vehicles and injuries. It took the intervention of the police to bring the situation under control.
The PDP alleged that the attack was sponsored by the APC and its leaders while the APC alleged that the attack was sponsored by the PDP and Gov. Godwin Obaseki.
The PDP, through its state campaign council chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, said the attack was an organised plan by the APC to eliminate the entire leadership of the PDP and its elected governors who were in the state for the campaign.
Chief Orbih described the attack as a well planned strategy to drive fear into the minds of the supporters of Gov. Obaseki and the PDP so that on election day they would be scared to come out to vote.
He said after the governor and PDP guests had left the palace, persons with PDP caps were attacked and their cars destroyed by those who were organised to carry out the attack.
On his part, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, Vice-Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee of the APC National Campaign Council, alleged that it was Gov. Obaseki’s supporters that attacked protesters for expressing their rejection of the governor.
Hon. Obahiagbon said after the palace incident, APC supporters and party members wearing Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu’s caps and T-Shirts were assaulted in the streets of Benin.
He said, “Many of our supporters with gunshot wounds are receiving treatment following the attack.”
The most recent political violence was the alleged attack on Gov. Obaseki’s convoy in Edo North Central by hoodlums.
The attack reportedly happened in Ward 10 when the governor and his PDP campaign team were on their way to Apana community for campaign.
It was also gathered that the hoodlums were dislodged by a combined team of security agents and vigilante groups.
A female police officer who was caught recording the footage of the foiled attack was reportedly assaulted by the hoodlums before they escaped into the bush.
Speaking with Daily Trust, the spokesman of the Edo State Civil Society Organisations, Osazee Edigin, said the development was indication of an election that would be marred with violence if not quickly nipped in the bud.
Edigin said, “What such portends is the fact that politicians seem not to have any discernible manifesto to woo voters; hence they resort to violence and self-destruction.”
He noted that lack of jobs had made the youths a readily available tool to constitute violence in the name of politicking.
He further said, “Electioneering campaigns should be issues-based. We should be talking of supremacy of political ideology and not supremacy of gun power as our democracy evolves.”
He, however, called on security agents to do more of intelligence gathering that would enable them respond swiftly to any form of violence and ensure that political parties were committed to a peaceful pact.
Edigin advised the youths to realise that politicians that armed them to cause mayhem had their families overseas; having the best of life.
He noted that whoever lost his life in the course of political thuggery would never be remembered by the politician after election.
On his part, a journalist, social commentator, media consultant and resource person, Dada Ayokhai, said the way things were going, there was no possibility of having a crises-free election.
Ayokhai said, “In Edo State, it is not really a case of two different parties, but that of a split party. We can refer to them as APC 1 and 2. So, we expect a situation compared to a jealousy or rivalry between two women married to the same man. It is easier to separate and appeal for peace by women of different husbands than those under the same husband,”
He, therefore, called on stakeholders in the election to play the crucial role of advocating for peace by frequently reminding the parties about the consequences of crises before, during and after the election.
Meanwhile, the Edo State police spokesman, DSP Chidi Nwanbuzor, said they were ready and prepared to protect the lives and property of the people of Edo State during the governorship election.
DSP Nwanbuzor said, “The command is fully ready, and we have put in place adequate security measures for the election. We are collaborating with other security agencies, and we are always meeting to strategise and synergise to ensure that the upcoming election is hitch-free.”
He, therefore, appealed to the youths who were being used to perpetrate crime and criminality during elections to desist from it and always ask the political actors to bring their sons and daughters to do the job whenever they were being recruited.
