As the September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State draws near, the political atmosphere has become increasingly charged, with both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Edo State government accusing each other of planning to manipulate the election.
The APC, through a statement by its campaign council’s Director of Media, Prince Kassim Afegbua, has alleged that Governor Godwin Obaseki and his administration are planning to use the Edo State Security Network (ESSN) to rig the election.
Afegbua claims that the state government is producing police and military uniforms for members of the ESSN, allowing them to masquerade as genuine security personnel on election day to facilitate electoral fraud. He also alleged that the government is arming these operatives with the intention of intimidating voters and suppressing turnout.
Afegbua urged the public and security agencies to be vigilant and to prevent any attempt by the state government to undermine the electoral process. He also appealed to the military and police to step in and protect the democratic rights of the Edo electorate.
The state government, however, has firmly denied these accusations, describing them as nothing more than a ploy by the APC to distract from its own alleged plans to manipulate the election. Crusoe Osagie, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Projects, labelled the APC’s claims as laughable, suggesting that the opposition party is attempting to deflect attention from its reliance on “federal might” to influence the election outcome.
Osagie countered that the APC’s attacks on the state’s security and vigilante network are part of a broader strategy to discredit a group that has been effective in maintaining law and order at the local level. He said that the people of Edo State are aware of these tactics and will not be swayed by unfounded allegations. Osagie called on security agencies to ensure a fair and transparent election and encouraged voters to come out en masse without fear of intimidation.
