Group CSOs Caution Candidates, Voters, INECTHE unsavoury electoral malpractice in the governorship contest of 2007, which was only rectified by the courts, has made the electorate in Edo State to be wary in the run-up to the July 14, 2012 exercise.And with the avowal by the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to use all means at its disposal to unseat the incumbent Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) government, watchers of the state politics feared that a repeat performance was inevitable.However, President Goodluck Jonathan, who doubles as the leader of the PDP in the country, has given a sterling pledge that all would be well on Election Day.The president, at a grand rally by the PDP in Benin City on Saturday, June 30, said that his administration's 'One Man One Vote' mantra, which is popularised by Governor Adams Oshiomhole, would be adhered to at the polls. Venue was at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.Jonathan told thousands of party faithful that he would continue to keep faith with his election promises to the Nigerian people.He recalled that there was a programme in the state, which he could not attend but sent a speech that was delivered by a former governor of Bayelsa State, noting that, 'that was the very first time in Edo State here that I said we must change the way we do elections in this country.''This time around, no stuffing of ballot papers, no thuggery, no thuggery, no thuggery; (we will obey to) that one man one vote, one woman one vote, one youth one vote,' he said. 'And I have come here specifically to tell the people of Edo State that I still keep faith to that and Edo State is going to be one state that we will show that example,' he added.The president said he had heard many stories about Edo State: 'stories of insecurity; stories of this, stories of that. Let me assure you that even this morning, before I came, I called the Inspector General of Police (and asked), 'are you ready for Edo State'' he said, 'yes.' I called the Chief of Defence Staff; 'are you ready for Edo State'' He said, 'yes.''Then he pledged: 'I guaranty 100 per cent security for your elections and there will be no manipulations. Election results will be entered at the various units and nobody will change figures.'He noted that being the dominant party, the PDP would win the election, 'as long as you mobilise and vote' for it.According to the president, when they vote for the party candidate, Major-General Charles Airhiavbere, 'you vote for peace, you vote for transformation, you vote for education, you vote for health and you vote for changes.'THE crux of the president's declaration for free and fair election, was not just in its presentation but the obvious emphasis in the speech. Those who expected a general statement without specific messages were disappointed, as the address and his body language spoke volumes.Even in the midst of serious security challenges, he said would bequeath to Nigeria, like his predecessor, the late Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, the conduct of credible elections, which the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) government in Edo State has always harped on to say it would be victorious on Saturday.Among the dignitaries at the rally were the governors of the South-South states of Bayelsa, Delta and Cross River and representatives of Akwa-Ibom and Rivers States.In his speech, the former chair of the party Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, said the PDP-led Federal Government constructed the Benin bye-pass, the dualisation of Benin-Warri, Benin-Onitsha road and ongoing reconstruction of the Benin-Ore road.Chairman of the South-South Governors' Forum, Liyel Imoke, said the PDP should win the election to bring Edo into the mainstream politics of the country while the PDP women leader, Mrs. Kema Chikwe, promised that a PDP-led government in the state would appoint at least 35 per cent women into the cabinet.Storm Over Visit To Oba ErediauwaPRESIDENT Jonathan, who was received at the Benin Airport by Governor Oshiomhole at about 11:45am, proceeded to the palace of the Benin monarch, Oba Erediauwa. His entourage included the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; former chair of the party Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih; governorship candidate of the PDP, Gen. Airhiavbere (rtd); and state chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih.Curiously, the Oba did not meet with other PDP chieftains that went to the palace but asked for a private meeting with President Jonathan while the palace chiefs, led by the Iyase of Benin Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe, publicly prayed for the president and his entourage.The Iyase said: 'Our son, the President, came on a courtesy visit and after his visit, he should have a safe journey home.'However, the seeming snub of the PDP delegation, as widely reported in the media, but which the Benin Traditional Council (BTC) debunked, generated a huge debate and controversy during the week, with different groups presenting diverse positions on the issue.Two versions of why the Oba chose to meet with only President Jonathan emanated. One was that the prayers the Oba would ordinarily offer to the governorship candidate of the PDP had been offered to his political opponent, Governor Oshiomhole.'The Oba does not offer the special prayers twice,' a palace chief told The Guardian.The other version had it that the presence of the Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, deterred the monarch from receiving the PDP bigwigs.According to yet another source, Igbinedion, who was recently pardoned by the palace on alleged misdemeanour and re-admitted into his status, was yet to perform a procession from his house to the palace, 'a homage meant for his likes that had been pardoned by the palace.'Nonetheless, statement by the Secretary of the BTC, Frank Irabor, while stressing that the Oba met with President Jonathan, did not explain why the monarch chose to meet with only the president.'The palace would like to make it clear that Omo N'Oba did not shun Mr. President and the Peoples Democratic Party members that came with him,' it said.'In-fact, it is the respect and love Omo N'Oba has for Mr. President, that Omo N'Oba still manage to see our president in a private Chamber in the palace despite a complicated situation on that day.'The statement reminded the public that three weeks ago, the Omo N'Oba waited for over two hours 'in his open office, where he received the Vice President, Dr. Namadi Sambo and the PDP chieftains that were in Benin for their political rally.''The Omo N'Oba uses this medium to advise politicians to avoid violence in the forth-coming gubernatorial election in Edo State. Political office occupation should not be seen as a do or die affair.'The Omo N'Oba prays God and the ancestors to remove death and violence from Edo state,' it added.Warning Against ViolenceEDO sons and daughters in the Diaspora have warned against any form of violence during the election. They urged political parties and their candidates in the election, security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the exercise was conducted according to the rules.The group, in an email to The Guardian, said the parties should not allow what happened in the 2007 governorship election to repeat itself, recalling that it took almost two years of judicial tussle to get the true winner of the election to become the governor of the state.The statement, signed by Oboma Asemota, Nosa Obanor, Stephen Aghahowa and eight others representing various Edo associations across the globe, preached against violence in the election that has generated so much heat and bad blood among opposing parties.The statement reads: 'It will be recalled that between 2007 and 2008, Edo State witnessed a prolonged court battle over a stolen mandate and though innocent blood was shed along the line, the state was spared a major crisis with the eventual verdict by the Appeals Court' and (that) paved the way for the state to witness relative peace in the last few years.'Edo indigenes in the Diaspora appeal to all lovers of freedom and those who believe in democracy to send a cautionary notice to all the parties involved, to ensure that no attempt is made totamper with the people's mandate or inany way imaginable circumvent their desire as expressed at the ballot box.'The statement called on residents of state to concentrate on 'and be engaged in a debate of issues. We urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to exercise its independence by ensuring that no external influence, no matter how highly placed, interferes with the conduct of the July 14th governorship election in Edo State.'We call on the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), the State Security Services (SSS) and other security agencies, to live up to their constitutional mandates and ensure that the people of Edo State are not intimidated, threatened or harmed in the course of exercising their civic rights before, during and after the July 14th 2012 election in Edo State.'Copies of the statement were sent to the President, Senate President, Speaker, House of Representatives, the Oba of Benin, candidates of all the political parties, the INEC and student bodies.'We solemnly appeal to all true and honest Edo indigenes, both at home and in the Diaspora, to be vigilant, conscientious and wary of cajolement to ensure that the result of the elections, as announced by INEC, reflects the collective will of Edo people.'We appeal to all Nigerians and friends of Nigeria to weigh in on all involved in the conduct of the July 14th 2012 governorship election in Edo State, to ensure a free and fair election,' it said.INEC versus CSOsAPPARENTLY in tandem with the wish of the Edo people, the INEC has stated its preparedness for the election, as it commenced the training of ad-hoc staff for during the week.But it alleged that suspected fraudsters were sending messages to political parties and governorship candidates, in the state in the name of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Kassim Gaidam, for payments not authorised by the commission.The state INEC spokesperson, Mrs. Priscilla Imoudu-Sule, said the commission had not called for any payment of any sort even as it said that the suspected phone numbers being used to circulate the said text messages did not belong to the REC and urged parties to ignore them.Meanwhile, prominent civil society organisations, the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) and the Coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations (CONGOS) have condemned INEC's exclusion of CSOs in Edo State from the election, alleging that it was a ploy to create room for manipulation of the voting.Consequently, they staged a protest at the INEC office in Benin City on Wednesday and vowed to do the same tomorrow if they were not included as monitors for the election.Addressing a press conference, the Executive Director of ANEEJ, Revd. David Ugolor said CSOs in the state applied online to INEC for accreditation to monitor the election but noted that, 'curiously, INEC approved over 28 organisations to monitor the election.'He said that a few weeks after they submitted their applications, 'INEC secretly accredited and contacted some CSOs based outside the state without publicising the accredited list in their official website, as was the case during the April 2011 general elections.''The interesting thing is that mostof those accredited CSOs by INEC are relying mainly on Edo State-based CSOs to execute the task. CONGOS (Conference of NGOs) in the state did a petition to Jega, met with INEC officials and submitted a formal petition but rather than responding, they went ahead, ferried these few NGOs that they have accredited to Enugu where they are currently undergoing secret training,' they said.'We expected a quick response from INEC but up till now, there is no response and that was what informed our decision to go to the streets yesterday (Wednesday); so, we have made every effort to actually engage INEC.'Ugolor said he was shocked that the same CSOs that were accredited by INEC to monitor the April general elections had been denied that role in the Edo July poll.With these developments, there is tension in the state but it is still unclear how this would affect the election, as a similar scenario pervaded the air during the build-up to the Etsako Central House of Assembly re-run in 2010, but the election turned out to be one of the most peaceful in the state.
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