Edo People Feel Powerless In Face Of Brute Force By Security Institutions, Guber Poll Result: A Tragedy, False Democracy - Obaseki ~ OsazuwaAkonedo #Adams #Oshiomhole #Adamawa #Ahmadu #APC #Bola #democracy #edo #election #Fintiri #Godwin #INEC #news #Nyesom #Obaseki #PDP #Tinubu #Umaru #Wike https://osazuwaakonedo.news/edo-people-feel-powerless-in-face-of-brute-force-by-security-institutions-guber-poll-result-a-tragedy-false-democracy-obaseki/23/09/2024/ #Politics Published: September 23rd, 2024 Reshared: September 23, 2024 7:04 pm Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki may have accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
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00:00Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki may have accused President Bola Ametselebu of practicing
00:06false democracy, abusing the use of security institutions to steal the will of the people.
00:12Governor Obaseki stated this in a statewide broadcast following the declaration of the
00:17president's political party, All Progressives Congress. APC candidate,
00:23Moune Oponholowina by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
00:27Ineke in the last Saturday Edo state governorship election amid allegations of the wrong use of
00:32men of the Nigeria Police Force, NPF for the falsification, inflation and manipulation of
00:37the election results at some coalition centers. Governor Obaseki during the broadcast stated that
00:44the outcome of the last Saturday Edo governorship election was not only a tragedy but a travesty or
00:49false representation of democracy in Nigeria. Adding, Edo people feel powerless in the face
00:56of brute force by institutions that ought to protect them. Governor Obaseki who watched the
01:03people not to take laws into their hand, or to start violence or destruction of properties as
01:09a result of the provocation, said peace and justice will always win. Saying, he knows that many of the
01:16people feel sad, vexed, aggrieved and daunted in the spirit following the outcome of the Guba poll.
01:23According to Obaseki, there were rates of impunity and reckless disregard to the role of law and
01:29processes during the election. On his counterpart member of the People's Democratic Party,
01:35PDP and Governor of Adamawa State, Amadou Umaru Fintere who was the PDP chairman for the election
01:42in a news statement posted on his social media account, said, he wept for Nigerian democracy
01:48after he witnessed what he described as shameful Edo gubernatorial election where APC governors
01:54used armoured escorts to intimidate voters. I wept for Nigeria's democracy after witnessing the
02:00shameful Edo gubernatorial poll. The APC's desperate attempts to discredit me by falsely
02:07claiming I announced results won't distract from the real issue. I merely shared results from
02:13INEC's EREF portal as collated by INEC from the various local government areas. What's truly
02:20shameful is APC's national chairman flying into Edo with a private jet on election day,
02:26defying movement restrictions, while their governors used armoured escorts to intimidate
02:31voters. This blatant disregard for democratic norms is the real brigandage. Nigerians are
02:38outraged, slamming INEC for compromising and favouring APC. The reported vote buying,
02:45destruction of collation processes and suspicious results with more votes than accredited voters
02:52undermine trust in our democracy. Democracy indeed is under attack. We must condemn this
02:58wrath of democracy and demand accountability. The world is watching and Nigeria deserves better,
03:06Governor Finteri stated. We had reported that the last Saturday Edo state gubernatorial election
03:12appeared to be a very big interest for the incumbent governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki
03:18and the former governors of Edo and River states who are currently the incumbent senator representing
03:23Edo North and FCT Minister Adams Oshomole and Nyesomweke respectively. Nyesomweke has said he
03:30felt betrayed after he helped Governor Godwin Obaseki to secure power for his current second
03:36tenure in office through the People's Democratic Party, PDP when the then All Progressives Congress,
03:42APC National Chairman, Adams Oshomole disqualified him from contesting the governorship seat on the
03:48platform of his then political party, APC in 2020. Adams Oshomole had in several occasions also
03:56described Governor Obaseki as a betrayal, saying he regretted choosing him as successor in 2016.
04:03President Bola Ametilubu had in 2020 called on Edo people to vote Governor Obaseki out of office
04:10and he shouldn't be given second term too. Roll the people but many people in the state then
04:16piqued offence on President Bola Ametilubu's statements who was only then APC National
04:22Chieftain. The 2023 presidential election that got President Bola Ametilubu into power as Nigerian
04:29President has been an issue of concern to many. Scores of people believed that the 2023 election
04:37was filled with irregularities, violence, disenfranchisement of eligible voters,
04:43manipulation of election results among other insinuations or allegations but the Nigerian
04:48Supreme Court of Justice ruled that the political parties and candidates who contested the 2023
04:53presidential election outcome in court were not able to prove their case of widespread margins
04:57of irregularities, manipulation of election results, violence, disenfranchisement even though
05:03the apex court noted that there were isolated cases of the allegations which were not enough
05:08to rule otherwise against Bola Ametilubu who was declared winner by the independent National
05:13Electoral Commission, INEC. Governor Obaseki had refused to sign the traditional routine
05:19Peace Accord agreement on the ground that those who ought to be the promoters of peace are already
05:24causing violence ahead the gubernatorial election by thus intimidating, harassing and arresting
05:30members of his political party, PDP, to weaken the chances of PDP winning the areas where the
05:36arrested and detained party chieftains hail from, saying the authorities at the federal government
05:42are doing so for APC to win the governorship by all means. The tension in the state meant the
05:48Benin monarch, Omo Nambanido Uku Akolokolu Obaewe, the second to order a sacrificial
05:56ceremony to allow the gods or deities in Benin kingdom to avoid any act of calamity before,
06:02during and after the governorship election. My dear good people of Edo State,
06:09in the last few months the various political parties have embarked on very rigorous campaigns
06:16to sell their respective candidates for the office of governor to the people of Edo State
06:22in an exercise which came to a climax yesterday. The attractive thing about democracy is the power
06:31it bestows on the people to choose who governs them. Therefore, when this power is blatantly
06:40seized from the people, it is not just a tragedy but a travesty of democracy. Regrettably,
06:48the outcome of the September 21st governorship election appears to have daunted the spirit of
06:54many Edo people who feel powerless in the face of the brute force of the institutions that are
07:02supposed to protect them. It is therefore understandable that many people feel sad
07:08and aggrieved. But, in the midst of this despair, I am urging all my fellow Edo citizens to maintain
07:17calm and not resort to violence and the destruction of property in spite of this provocation.
07:25Peace and justice will always win at the end and this is my prescription to all the good people of
07:33Edo State who feel vexed and violated at this time. Clearly, it is obvious to the least discerning
07:41the amount of impunity and reckless disregard for processes and law that was displayed in
07:47this gubernatorial election. In a democracy, there are always safeguards for addressing
07:53grievances and we hope that all those affected will seek resolution for this blatant disregard
08:01of law and process. With this in mind, I implore all Edo people to go about their lawful businesses
08:09and rest assured of the commitment of our government to your well-being and security.
08:14God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
08:44God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
09:14God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
09:20God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
09:24God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
09:29God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
09:34God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
09:39God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
09:46God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
09:52God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
09:56God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
10:00God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
10:04God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
10:08God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
10:12God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
10:16God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
10:20God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
10:24God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
10:28God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
10:32God bless the people of Edo State. God bless the people of Edo State.
10:36In the year 2039, we thereby demand a restoration of the coalition process
10:40in accordance with the Electoral Act and the INEC rules and regulations for this election.
10:44in accordance with the Electoral Act and the INEC rules and regulations for this election.
10:48Any other illegal and unlawful actions going forward will be a violation of the will of the people
10:52Any other illegal and unlawful actions going forward will be a violation of the will of the people
10:56and an abuse of the Electoral Act 2022.
11:00I went to INEC to seek to meet with the REC
11:04to see what steps the INEC was taking to continue the process of coalition.
11:08to see what steps the INEC was taking to continue the process of coalition.
11:12When I got in there about 2am, I did not see any coalition taking place.
11:16When I got in there about 2am, I did not see any coalition taking place.
11:20The REC refused to come out to explain what the situation was.
11:24The REC refused to come out to explain what the situation was.
11:28Subsequently, the DIG police, Frank Mbaa, came in and had a meeting with me
11:32where I explained that if INEC was postponing or stopped the coalition process,
11:36where I explained that if INEC was postponing or stopped the coalition process,
11:40then as part of their rules, they should inform the public or the citizens of what next.
11:44As of 3am, there was no information from INEC as to what was going on or what was going to happen next.
11:48As of 3am, there was no information from INEC as to what was going on or what was going to happen next.
11:52It was subsequently after my assistance and meeting with Mr. Frank Mbaa,
11:56that INEC now released a statement at about 5am
12:00that INEC now released a statement at about 5am
12:04informing the public that the coalition process will start at 10am this morning.
12:08informing the public that the coalition process will start at 10am this morning.
12:12So my going there was essentially to obtain information from INEC
12:16because they had refused to put any information in the public domain
12:20as to what was going to happen with the coalition process.