- Wants Igbinedion, Onolemenmen Charged For Violating Electoral Law
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says he remains committed to the principle of One man, One vote and will not rig the Local Government election for anybody.
The Governor however frowned at the breach of the electoral law by two chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion and the Minister of Works, Architect Mike Onolemenemen who were reported to have used Mobile Policemen to intimidate voters against the provisions of the law.
Speaking to reporters after casting his vote at Iyamho Primary School, Etsako West Local Government Area, yesterday, Oshiomhole said “You can see that I have just voted and it is peaceful. The local government election is like a community issue, everybody knows the other, there are no ethnic issues and religious issues and so I think that seeing all these women coming to vote, two things come out first you can see that the women are the loyal voters whether it is raining they are there.
“But the two areas where we have some concern, first is the report we got from Okada where Chief Igbinedion brought mobile police all the way from Abuja, more than a dozen police men all armed, he was walking on the streets of Okada and they followed him all the way to Okada police station where election materials were been kept. First Chief Igbinedion did not register to vote in Okada. You can play back past election for the gubernatorial election. He is registered to vote in Benin City and you can check from the voting register his name is in Benin City.
“By law there is restriction of movement. Igbinedion is not supposed to travel to Okada, let alone walking on the street in a place where he is not registered being protected by the police illegally acquired from Abuja. But I have asked to talk to the Commissioner of Police, the Director of SSS, to prevail on him not to continue to breach the law. We will try to investigate the police men used to subvert the law.
“The problem with Nigeria is that some people who have made money by all kind of means believe they are above the law and sometime the authority indulge them as far as I am concerned Every day that we allow people no matter how much money they have made for themselves that is not the reason why they should trample on the law and go home and sleep like criminals, a criminal is a criminal. I have told the CP. Because we are on ground at Okada, the people are angry with them, they underdeveloped Okada and if Chief Igbinedion disturb the peace he will be the victim, but to think that he can use police to rig the election in Okada,it is impossible because the people, after many years of exploitation they are wiser so that is one negative report I have received.
“Chief Igbinedion he must respect himself. The law is clear. I will insist that he is charged to court because anybody who violates the law has to be dealt with. If at old age we do things we shouldn’t do we are teaching the young ones the wrong lessons.
“The second one is from Uromi where the Minister of Works brought a team of Mobile police to the polling booth; you all know what the electoral law says that on Election Day no office holder including the governor can go to the polling booth with mobile police. That is why as I am coming here now I am entitled to mobile policemen, I asked them to stay away because that is the law, you can’t carry guns and be intimidating voters, it is even bad to expose women to see policemen with guns, as if election is war.
“We have those two issues but I think the key issue for me is the unfortunate incident of materials arriving late by EDSIEC and the process commencing rather late. The other one I heard is that the ballot paper for Councillorship for Oredo and Ikpoba Okha were apparently not delivered. But they delivered those of the Chairman and now the EDSIEC wanted to do the election for chairman and do that for councilors another day, and some of the political parties objected to it that if they do the election of chairman and do councilors another day, it will not favour some people.
“I think it is a matter of common sense that if you do the election of chairman and somebody wins; the councilors from the other party may be disadvantaged because nobody is likely to vote for councilors when they know that the party has already lost the chairman. So I agree with those who say the election be postponed. Although I understand ACN people are protesting in Benin against the decision to postpone. But I believe the decision in fair.
“I am for one man one vote; I worked hard to earn the trust of Edo people. If I did not rig my own election, I have no reason to rig the election for another person. I think that it is important that we sustain the campaign, that those of us who hold public office we must live by example and not be above the law, we have seen from morning I have been in my house I did not go out.
“I want to encourage our people to recognize that there is no honour in public office if you are not truly elected”
“The important thing is that the people have the right to vote and those votes are counted and any member of our party who breaks the law is on his own.”
