Politics
Edo Guber: Govt, APC, INEC Trade Words Over Alleged Rigging Plot
Published
1 month agoon
By
EditorBy Joseph Ebi Kanjo | Benin
The Edo State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Edo State Government, Friday, May 24, 2024, pointed accusive fingers at each others over alleged plot to rig the state governorship election slated for September 21st, this year.
State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Peter Igbingie, during a press briefing in Benin had raised the alarm that the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration in connivance with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded plans to use the forthcoming Continuous Voters Registration, CVR, exercise to rig the governorship election.
But responding to the allegation, the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, said “the APC are aware they have the worst candidate who they are finding difficult to market,” describing them as gathering of “confused people who have nothing to offer.”
The APC Publicity Secretary in the allegation further said the state government plot to rig the election,
ICT officials of the electoral umpire are the ones pencilled down to do the job for the Edo State government.
But INEC Head of Voters Education and Publicity in the state, Mr. Timidi Wareowei, denied the allegation, noting that if any party has anything against the commission, that should have been raised during a stakeholders’ meeting held on the 16th of this month where all parties were present, or better still approached the state Residential Electoral Commissioner whose doors, according to Wareowei, are always opened.
The state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation further responding said “allegation they made against INEC is like that of a man who is not prepared to write an exam that has been fixed for a certain date. We are embarrassed that this is the quality of opposition the APC is offering in the state.”
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The APC image maker in the state further alleged that, working under the guise of no adequate personnel for the CVR exercise, arrangements have been allegedly concluded with INEC to “deploy the services of Edo teachers and civil servants in addition to members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, as Ad Hoc staff.”
He further said: “It has become expedient that our Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), raised this alarm and bring to the notice of well-meaning Nigerians, the ingnoble plans by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State to circumvent and rig the 2024 Governorship Election in the State using the forthcoming Continuous Voters Registration, CVR, Exercise as a formidable platform.
“Additionally, the APC has found out that Governor Obaseki is working closely with the head of INEC ICT unit so the PDP can manipulate the Voters Register and the BIVAs.
“We have on good authority and from multiple sources that some gullible officials of INEC in most of the 18 local government areas that make up our state, have approached the outgoing Edo State government to provide them with ‘logistics’ for the CVR. In anticipation, these unpatriotic INEC officials have promised to allow the PDP unfettered access to INEC data capturing machines.
“The APC is also aware that the INEC officials have hidden under the guise of no adequate personnel for the exercise, to make frivolous complaints to the outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki aimed at undermining the core mandate of the institution.
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“Cashing in, the Governor has agreed with INEC to deploy the services of Edo teachers and civil servants in addition to members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, as Ad Hoc staff.
“He has promised to bankroll their stipends after the CVR exercise.”
The APC State Publicity Secretary who alleged that the state government has concluded plans to register underage persons with a view to giving such cards to adults to vote during the election, advocated “strict compliance with the INEC designated venues for the CVR exercise which is the Ward Headquarters.”
Igbingie also demanded the “immediate deployment of INEC Head of ICT in Edo State who we know is working closely with a female INEC staff in Bayelsa State: She is the wife of a PDP chieftain Edo State,” and “complete restriction of transfer of voters from neighbouring states during the CVR exercise.”
But in his response, the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation fired back: “We want to say as a government that we are interested in our people coming out to register during the CVR exercise. That is what the government does. Also, political parties encourage the people to come out to register because it is the vote of the people that decides who governs them.
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“When INEC graciously decided to resume registration of voters, we were excited and as a government encouraged our people to come out because we believe that it is when more people register, then the government can be held accountable.
“But APC has a party is disgruntled. Firstly, they have nominated a candidate that cannot express himself and they cannot sell to Edo people. They are worried about that, and instead of admitting to their failure, they are busy making allegations to an unbiased umpire, which is INEC.
“We are not saying that INEC is totally unbiased, but they have a duty to register voters and we will give them whatever support they need.
“The Edo State Government has nothing to do with the manipulation of the CVR. What we believe in is getting Edo people to come out and register. When they register, we know they will vote for us because they have seen what we have done. That’s why they are afraid, because their government has brought so much hardship to Nigerians with increase in the price of goods and services
“The election is here and they are afraid that Edo People will reject them.”
INEC head of publicity further noted: “All the parties were there and nobody raised any issues. Now, a party will now call a press conference and saying things. Our doors are open. It is not good to antagonize the commission when we have not done anything wrong. It is not fair that they have taken this old fashioned. This is not the way to go. If anyone has anything to say, he should come to the Resident Electoral Commission. It is wrong to dish out those allegations as we do not have anything to do with them.”
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Politics
JUST IN: Egor Legislative Arm Removes House Leader, Makes Replacement
Published
8 hours agoon
June 25, 2024By
EditorThe Leader, Legislative Arm of Egor Local Government Council of Edo State has been Impeached and replaced by Hon. Lion Prince Edigin, Councillor representing Ward 3 of the local government area.
The motion for the House Leader impeachment was moved by Hon. Inneh Elliot, Councillor representing Ward 9, and who doubles as the Chief Whip of the House, and seconded by Hon. Kelvin Ighodaro Eguakun, Councillor representing Ward 8.
The House Leader impeachment motion was said to have easily scaled through due to the support it received from seven out of the 10 councilors of the council.
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The impeachment notice and motion got the support of 7 Councillors, which is more than the required two-third majority, had
Consequently, it received little or no resistance due to the resolve of the members to change the leadership of the House based on alleged gross misconduct, maladministration and embezzlement of funds.
The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday, approved a minor cabinet reshuffle.
The PUNCH reports that the governor had, a few days ago, issued a statement for the approval of the nomination of Oba Owolabi Olakulehin as 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland after some prominent Ibadan indigenes have waded into the issue.
Makinde, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Suleiman Olanrewaju, in Ibadan, the capital, said, “The reshuffle saw the former Commissioner for Trade, Industry, Investment, and Cooperatives, Ademola Ojo, move to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.
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“Ojo is a former chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria in the state chapter.
“Segun Olayiwola, who until the reshuffling was manning the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, has been moved to the Ministry of Establishment and Training.
“The erstwhile Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Adeniyi Adebisi, will move to the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Investment and Cooperatives.
“The reshuffling is with immediate effect.” The statement stated.
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The acting Chairman of the transition committee, Aduwaheed Omar, led members of the labour union to the secretariat, chanting solidarity songs and calling for the resignation of Abure on the grounds that his tenure as the chairman of the party had expired.
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