The Edo State Police Command has deployed extra males to safe the venue of the Edo State governorship election petition tribunal venue in Benin Metropolis, the state capital, following escalating tensions in the course of the first week of listening to on the Excessive Court docket Complicated on Sapele Street.
In an unique interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, the command stated it was its duty to make sure that there was no breach of peace on the venue of the tribunal sitting, following reported capturing and a conflict of supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Occasion.
Senator Monday Okpebholo, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress , was declared winner of the Edo State governorship ballot final September.
In accordance with the outcomes from the 18 native authorities areas introduced by the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee, Okpebholo secured a complete of 291,667 votes to beat his closest rival Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Occasion, who garnered 247,655 votes.
Olumide Akpata of the Labour Occasion completed third with 22,763 votes.
Nonetheless, the PDP complained of fraud and vowed to problem the end in courtroom.
“The best way these elections are going, they’re most likely going to be the worst elections within the historical past of this nation,” PDP candidate Ighodalo stated after the ballot.
Dissatisfied with the declaration of INEC, the PDP and 6 different political events, who additionally participated within the ballot, approached the tribunal to problem the end result.
The PDP, specifically, is asking the tribunal to nullify the end result and as an alternative, declare its candidate, Ighodalo, the winner of the election.
Nonetheless, the Centre for Democracy and Improvement West Africa, which monitored the election, accused each the PDP and APC of vote-buying, including that election officers had been intimidated in some areas.
The primary week of the tribunal’s sitting had witnessed some crises. On Wednesday, a thug with a gun, was captured on video capturing sporadically into the air and shouting, “give us again our mandate” on a road subsequent to the Excessive courtroom.
Once more, thugs, for the second time in a row on Thursday, invaded the tribunal sitting venue and have been alleged to have tried to disrupt the tribunal course of.
The determined thugs, it was learnt, tried to pressure themselves into the venue of the sitting of the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member tribunal, however have been resisted by the safety personnel.
On Friday, get together supporters clashed with personal safety personnel who have been stated to have accompanied a candidate within the September 21 governorship election to the Edo Excessive Court docket premises the place the tribunal is sitting.
Nonetheless, the spokesman of the Edo State Police Command, SP Moses Yamu, informed The PUNCH solely on Sunday that extra deployment of its males had been made to supply enough safety on the tribunal venue.
Whereas noting that investigation was on to fish out the gunman, he urged the political events who’ve instances within the tribunal to play by the principles.
He stated, “It’s our duty to make sure there’s no breach of peace on the tribunal and enough deployment have been made on this regard.
“The message stays identical. Let the sport be performed in response to the principles.”
Earlier in a press release on January 16, 2025 titled ‘Commissioner of police orders investigation right into a viral video of a capturing incident in Edo State’, the state command had ordered an investigation into the capturing incident.
The assertion learn, “The eye of the Edo State Police Command has been drawn to a viral video of a weapon-bearing younger man firing photographs within the air and later zooming off in an unmarked white Hilux car to a but to be recognized location in Edo State.
“Nonetheless, the Command categorically states that, no capturing incident occurred on the Excessive Court docket on 15/01/2025, throughout Election Tribunal sitting, as enough safety measures have been deployed to make sure that there was no breakdown of regulation and order.
“However, the Commissioner of Police, Umoru Ozigi, has ordered investigation into the incident, with a view to unraveling the identification and placement and of the younger man within the viral video for prosecution.”
In the meantime, the Publicity Secretary of the APC, Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie, accused the Peoples Democratic Occasion of fueling the crises in and across the tribunal.
He famous that it was incorrect for the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo to herald personal safety personnel to the courtroom, noting that the police are those saddled with that duty.
He stated, “One of the best international apply in this sort of scenario is that we dont make use of non-conventional safety officers. The standard safety officers that present safety to courts are the police and DSS. People for any purpose and guise can’t include their private safety.
“What occurred on Friday was that Ighodalo got here together with his personal safety. They pose a menace to litigants and their witnesses. The personal safety can assault individuals.
“We attraction to the IGP and CP that they need to deploy enough man energy to the courtroom on Monday to hold out their duties by making certain that those that haven’t any enterprise being in courtroom usually are not allowed into the guarantees in order that they dont pose safety menace to others.
He additionally dismissed allegation that his get together was fueling crises to make sure the tribunal is taken out of the state.
He added, “It’s most unfair that anyone will accuse the APC of fueling crises. It’s evidently clear that the safety challenges we’ve had have been instigated by the PDP as a result of they know they don’t have a superb case.
“We’ve footages of what occurred in and across the courtroom and the footages are on the market to indicate that PDP supporters are those finishing up these actions. A PDP supporter was seen capturing into the air on Wednesday in a viral video.
“I need to attraction to Edo individuals to understand the truth that we can’t be in authorities and making an attempt to trigger hassle. The PDP are those who don’t like issues to be performed the correct manner and this isn’t good for our democracy.
The PDP Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, stated APC was making an attempt to distract the tribunal, his get together and Edo individuals from following the case and no the reality.
He stated, “For the tribunal, we’re completely happy that the process is being adopted and we’re glad that our 1004 proof has been accepted as exhibit and when they’re all appeared into, it’s clear that we’ve a superb case.
“However we’re disillusioned that the supposed winner of the election, APC, is making an attempt to distract the tribunal, the PDP and Edo individuals. They dressed one in all their supporters like ours, who was capturing sporadically final Wednesday.
“The APC has taken over our secretariat and it appears the police usually are not appearing as we’ve heard that the APC have vowed to not vacate the premises.
“The personal safety personnel have been there to guard our candidate and his attorneys. They don’t have any enterprise with the courtroom ot APC thugs who’ve been a nuisance to the system. They’re making an attempt to make sure that the personal safety personnel don’t come once more in order that they’ll harras, embarrass and even kill our candidate.
“The police are appearing like APC accomplices on this points by giving APC thugs the backing to take away native authorities chairmen and their deputies and to take over our secretariat. So, we dont have faith in them defending our attorneys and candidate so we engaged the providers of personal safety personnel.”
The Public Relations officer of the state Labour Occasion, Sam Uruopa, has referred to as for warning whereas noting that the crises being witnessed is detrimental to the expansion of democracy within the nation.
He stated, “The crises portends nice hazard for democracy. The 2 main events on the tribunal are taking it like battle. The best way they encourage as supporters to go to the tribunal with weapons and never ready for the end result of the tribunal is harmful.
“I’ll name on the events to speak to their supporters to permit the courtroom course of to go easily they’re distracting and threatening the tribunal and people who find themselves going about their lawful actions.”
