BREAKING: Obaseki Predicts ‘Very Violent Election’ In Edo

Governor Godwin Obaseki has forecasted that next Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State will be “very violent.”

Mr. Obaseki made this statement during a meeting with members of the National Peace Committee, led by Abdulsalami Abubakar, the former Nigerian leader and chairperson of the committee.

In a video of the meeting posted on Facebook, Mr. Abubakar informed Governor Obaseki that the committee was in the state to facilitate the signing of a peace accord among the governorship candidates and their parties.

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The aim of signing the peace accord, Mr Abubakar said, was to ensure “there is no mudslinging” during the campaigns and that candidates accept election results “as long as it is free and fair” or approach the court where there is “any misgivings.”

In his response, Mr. Obaseki explained that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had met the previous day and decided not to sign the peace accord.

He criticized the police, who were meant to enforce the peace accord, for instead becoming “now active participants in creating the destruction” in the state.

According to Mr Obaseki, “armed gangs police officers” from the inspector general’s office invaded the state, arrested PDP members and took them to Abuja.

“As we speak, there are about 10 in detention in Abuja without trial. Two days ago, they came to pick up a local government chairperson. This man (the chairperson) was attacked and shot at. He reported, and the police said he should come and give evidence. he went, and they arrested him. As we speak, he’s in Abuja.

“I say, even if offences were committed in Edo State, why won’t you charge the offences here and put them on trial here? Why take them to Abuja? Are these offences of high treason? And then in Abuja, why not charge them to court in Abuja,” the governor queried.

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Mr. Obaseki revealed that the Inspector General of Police’s office had obtained a warrant to arrest 60 PDP supporters, which he claimed has forced PDP leaders into hiding.

He further accused Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun of undermining his role as the chief security officer of Edo State.

“And for me, my role as the chief security officer is being made nonsense of by the IGP because I heard the chairperson was arrested, and I called the commissioner (of police). I say I understand this has happened, if there is anything let me know. He said I will come back to you, sir.

“He ignored me; he didn’t say anything the next morning by 4 a.m. he moved that person to Abuja, and as we speak, they are all there.”

Mr. Obaseki questioned why his party should sign a peace accord while their supporters remain in detention without trial.

He expressed a lack of confidence in the police’s ability to protect them.

“So sir, (referring to Mr Abubakar), ‘Why should we? Because clearly, (from) what we are seeing, it is going to be a very violent election, and they are going to use the forces of coercion and intimidation to win the election in Edo, whether we like it or not: that’s the message.

“We say no until everybody arrested in Edo is released or brought back to Edo to be tried on whatever offences you claimed they’ve committed. We’ve no confidence that the police are going to protect us in this election,” the governor said.