The election for the governor of Edo State is only 25 days away, set for September 21, 2024. However, there’s a lot of finger-pointing and blame going on. The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the state government are accusing each other of planning to cheat in the election.
According to DAILY POST, the APC says the state government is planning to use the Edo State Security Network (ESSN) to cheat during the election. On the other hand, the state government says the APC is planning to use their influence on the Federal government to win.
Prince Kassim Afegbua, who is the Director of Media for the Edo APC campaign, released a statement titled, “Governor Obaseki plotting to rig Edo election.” In this statement, Prince Afegbua claims that the state government is making police and military uniforms for ESSN members to wear on election day.
He explains that these uniforms will help ESSN members pretend to be real police officers and military personnel so they can help the state government cheat during the election.
Prince Afegbua said, “We, the Edo State APC Campaign Council, want to alert everyone—including the public and Edo voters—about Governor Godwin Obaseki’s secret plans to cheat in the upcoming election using his illegal Edo Security Network.”
He continued, “We have received many calls from concerned Edo voters who say the governor plans to use threats and intimidation to scare people, stopping them from voting freely.”
Prince Afegbua also mentioned that the state government had been buying weapons and hiring more people for the ESSN. He claims the real purpose of these new recruits is to help cheat in the election through intimidation.
“We know the state government is making police and military uniforms for ESSN members to wear. This way, they can act as real officers and help cheat during the election,” he added. “Some citizens with strong morals refused to help the government with this plan after a meeting at the Government House on Monday. Yet, the state is still buying more weapons for election day,” he alleged.
Prince Afegbua urged the police and military to protect the people of Edo State from these alleged plans by the state government.
The state government responded to these claims, calling them false and laughable. Crusoe Osagie, the Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media Projects, spoke on behalf of the government and said the APC is making up these stories because they are afraid of losing.
In a statement titled, “Edo 2024: APC afraid of defeat, cooked up lies to veil their plan to rig gubernatorial polls,” Osagie claimed that the APC’s allegations are just tricks to mislead voters.
He asked, “Who has been bragging about their power since the campaigns started, and who has been harassing and scaring innocent citizens and opposition members?”
Osagie said, “It’s funny because the APC is accusing others of doing exactly what they are doing.”
He charged that the APC has been trying to discredit the Edo State Security and Vigilante Network, which has been praised by security agencies for helping reduce crime, especially in local areas.
He said, “The APC’s tactic of blaming others for their own actions is well known, and the people of Edo State are too smart to be fooled.”
“We call on the police, military, and other security agencies to ensure that the election is free, fair, and safe for everyone in Edo State,” he added.
Osagie urged the citizens of Edo State to stay calm and come out to vote on September 21 without fear of threats or violence.