The much awaited Local Government Council by-election in Esan North East Local Government Council of Edo State had come and gone, with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party at war once again with the All Progressive Congress (APC), accusing the later of rigging the election. Elections in the council were postponed twice due to violence, while the Edo State Independent National Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) successfully conducted elections in other 17 Local Government Councils on the 20th of April, 2013.
The tension in the area was not surprising to many due to the caliber of politicians in the council. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih and the Minister of Works, Arch.Mike Onolemenmen are all from this council. Before the coming of Oshiomhole, Esan land was in firm grip of the PDP leader, Chief Anenih who has empowered his loyalists from the area, particularly his Uromi brothers and sisters. However, the coming of Governor Adams Oshiomhole changed the politics of the area due to the developmental strides of the Comrade Governor, which eventually helped Oshiomhole in winning the entire five Local Government Councils in the 2012 governorship election.
Following his recent political fortunes, it is not surprising that the Leader will not want to relinquish his Local Government to the APC even though it is a local election. His foot soldiers prepared for the election, just as the APC members went to the election in full confidence based on the achievements of Oshiomhole. However, the Tuesday election commenced peacefully despite the late arrival of voting materials in some wards.
Prior to the elections though, APC leaders expressed concern about the presence of ‘imported’ mobile policemen from Abuja and Lagos for the election. Infact, the Edo State Police Commissioner Folunso Adebanjo confirmed that the security arrangement was “water tight” and warned political leaders to warn their supporters to stay out of trouble.
All was actually going well up till about 1pm when the leader of APC in ward 5, Prince Joe Okojie raised alarm that a Mopol Commander of Uromi origin, who is based in Lagos was arresting APC members including their leaders and detaining them at the police station. At ward 7, the member representing the area at the Federal House of Representative and PDP chieftain, Mr Friday Itulah said though the election commenced late, he was happy that people are voting peacefully.
He however alleged that an EDSIEC official was seen with ink all over his body indicating that he may have been thumb printing for the APC candidate. However, tension heightened in ward 5 when political thugs snatched ballot boxes and there was free for all fight between APC youths and that of the PDP. The police shot sporadically trying to recover the ballot boxes but to no avail, as the youths ran into the bushes destroying the votes.
Suddenly, the ward which boasts of the highest number of voters in the council became a burial ground as only security operatives were observed. The state Police Commissioner and the State Director of DSS,Bello Bakori brought the situation under control but was unable to appeal to voters to come back and cast their votes as they all ran for their dear lives.
At about 6pm, there was mass arrest of APC leaders by the police and they were subsequently detained at the Uromi Police station allegedly on orders from above. APC chieftain, Prince Joe Okojie who spoke from his detention cell, accused the PDP of alleged rigging, harassment and intimidation of their members.
According to him, “somebody from this our community who is a MOPOL Commander based in Lagos who obviously is working for the PDP came this morning arresting three of our members. I went to the Police station to bail two of them but I was shocked while I was coming from the Police station when he came to arrest two more persons.
“It was at that point that our people resisted him. The PDP tried to use their federal might to intimidate and harrass our people but we will resist them. Now, they have arrested me and other APC leaders, but we will not be intimidated. They saw that we were winning and decided to destroy the ballot papers, disrupting the election. But I thank God our people have spoken in one voice, no more dictatorship, we are free at last”.
However, at about 8pm, that Tuesday, the Chairman of the EDSIEC, Mr Solomon Ogoh announced the results declaring Sam Oboh winner of the election after he polled 12,672 as against his PDP opponent John Yakubu who polled 3,314 votes. The next day Wednesday, the elected chairman was sworn in by Governor Oshiomhole while angry PDP members led by Chief Dan Orbih, its state chairman, addressed journalists rejecting the results and threatened to go to court.
According to Orbih, “the result the EDSIEC chairman announced was not the true result, what he declared was variance with the results announced at the different polling units, wards and collating centers by the presiding and returning officers appointed by the electoral body. What he announced has no bearing with the actual results announced by the presiding officers. He has no result from the various wards and collating centers”... Vanguard Daily
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