Tag: Edo Election

  • Edo Election: All Progressives Congress Loses Battle to Nail Obaseki In Court

    Edo Election: All Progressives Congress Loses Battle to Nail Obaseki In Court

    The Alleged certificate forgery suit against Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki by his erstwhile political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and one of its members, Edobor Williams, been dismissed by a Federal High Court in Abuja..

    In a judgement, Justice Ahmed Mohammed held that the plaintiffs failed to prove their claim that Obaseki forged the academic certificates that he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the last governorship election in the state.

    The judge found as lazy, the attitude of the plaintiffs, who did no make any efforts to cross-check from the University of Ibadan (UI) and the West African Examination Council (WAEC), the two institutions that issued the certificates they claimed Obaseki forged.

  • Edo Election: Obaseki Offers Oshiomole, Ize-Iyamu Olive Branch

    Edo Election: Obaseki Offers Oshiomole, Ize-Iyamu Olive Branch

    Winner of the just concluded Edo State Governorship election held on September 19, 2020, Godwin Obaseki, has extended a hand of friendship to a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole; and the APC candidate in the Saturday election, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

    Obaseki, currently wrapping up his first term as Edo State Governor, a position he attained under the APC, and contested again as a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, after being frustrated out by his traducers within the broom party, on Tuesday called on the opposition to put their differences aside and work for the betterment of the state.

    Obaseki made this call during his speech after the Independent National Electoral Commission issued certificates of return to him and his deputy, Philip Shaibu.

    “To our friends and our brothers on the other side of the divide, we are one family in the pursuit to provide services and public good for our citizens.

    “Our citizens have decided that as for now, they trust us more to provide them leadership. It does not mean that they do not have a role to play. It does not mean that they are not part of a family.

    “I’m using this opportunity to extend the hand of fellowship to my brother, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, and his other colleagues in the All Progressives Congress to join us and work with us so that we can move Edo forward.

    “On a specific note, I want to use this occasion to call on the former chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, that the fight is over and he should come and join in building the house where he was part of laying the foundation.

    “We have no malice, the only thing we disagreed on is in the approach in moving Edo forward.”

    The presentation of certificates of return was presented by INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Edo, Rivers, and Bayelsa States, Mrs May Agbmuche-Mbu, made the presentation at the INEC office in Aduwawa, Benin City, the Edo State capital.

    Photo:

    By Tobiloba Kolawole

  • Jonathan, Saraki Congratulate Obaseki, Describe Re-election as Opportunity to Deliver Campaign Promises

    Jonathan, Saraki Congratulate Obaseki, Describe Re-election as Opportunity to Deliver Campaign Promises

    A former Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, and a former senate president, Bukola Saraki, have congratulated Godwin Obaseki over his re-election as Edo State Governor.

    Jonathan, in his congratulatory message, tasked the re-elected governor to rise above partisan politics and govern for the good people of Edo State, irrespective of party leaning.

    The former president also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for overseeing a process that allowed the votes of the good people of Edo to count.

    “I congratulate His Excellency Godwin Obaseki on his re-election as Edo State Governor and the INEC Nigeria for overseeing a process that allowed the votes of the good people of Edo to count.

    “Democracy can only be consolidated to promote good governance in our nation and continent when our elections become credible, transparent and truly represent the wish of the voters.

    “Democracy is about the good of all the people and not for winners and losers.

    “As the election has been contested and won, I urge His excellency to rise above partisan politics and govern for the good of Edo people, irrespective of party leaning.

    “This is the way to deepen our democracy and bring development to the people,” Jonathan said.

    Saraki, on his part, congratulated Obaseki who he described as “friend and brother” on his re-election as Edo State Governor.

    The former senate president called on Obaseki to see his re-election as an opportunity to deliver on his campaign promises and to continually work to actualise the wishes and aspirations of Edo people.

    “The result of Edo gubernatorial election represents the true wish of the people who stood firmly behind their governor against power mongers who were determined to foist their choice on the people. It represents the will of the people to vote in free, fair, credible and peaceful elections.

    “The people of Edo State who had sleepless nights in order to protect their votes, those who rejected the cash being thrown around to buy their votes and the intimidation to force them to compromise their belief, deserve our praise. Therefore, my congratulations go to all the people of Edo State.

    “Let me give kudos to the leaders and governors in our party, PDP, for working together to achieve this victory. PDP leaders and members in Edo State who whole-heartedly accepted Governor Obaseki since he joined the party and co-operated with him to bring about this victory deserve to be appreciated.

    “The result of the just concluded election also represents the fact that our people actually desire to be governed by a truly democratic government headed by those they genuinely voted for. It represents the fact that our security and electoral officials can conduct free and fair elections if they have the right atmosphere. We are happy that throughout this election we did not see the military brutalising the people or security officials supervising the snatching of ballot boxes and vandalisation of votes. Thus, the military and other security agencies deserve commendation for this successful poll.

    “We also saw how INEC officials maturely handled the complaints of APC agent who sought to create confusion at the state collation centre when Orihomwon Local Government result was about to be declared. INEC and its officials deserve to be commended for their neutrality in this election.

    “We can see that the result represents realistic figures from one local government area to the other. No case of outlandish figures being reeled out. That is also a sign of some level of credibility in the process. It is for the above reasons that I have to commend President Muhammadu Buhari for keeping the military out of this election and for giving the instructions that led to the apparent neutrality of members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other security officials in the entire process.

    “Edo election result is a victory for our country, her people and democracy. We have shown that the glory of the country is more valuable to the citizens than the wish of a tiny power clique,” he said.

    Idowu Sowunmi

  • Edo Election: Imo Governor, Uzodinma Says He Never Rejected Outcome

    Edo Election: Imo Governor, Uzodinma Says He Never Rejected Outcome

    Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma has debunked reports that he rejected the final result of the Edo Governorship election which returned Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for second term as Governor.

    According to a press statement by the governor’s chief press secretary, Oguwike Nwachuku, Uzodinma said he never made such a statement and blamed the fake news industry.

    Governor Uzodinma also denied spending N3billion or $5million of Imo state money on the Edo state election.

    Emphasising the report as fake, Uzodinma accused one Stan Walden Newyork as the mastermind of the claims, a name referred to as “obviously a fake name”.

    “If the authors of the fake reports still have some brain in their head, something would have told them that since Governor Uzodimma is neither from Edo nor Chairman of the APC Media Campaign Council, the mischief they were primed to accomplish will not fly. Of course they don’t have sense.

    “They were also so daft to know that the governor was not a candidate in the said election and would not have spoken on an election he was not a candidate”, Nwachuku said.

    Read the full statement:

    There is fake report trending on the social media which claims that Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has rejected the recently announced Edo State governorship election result…

    No doubt, the authors of the fake reports are obviously the same characters we have always known who have been signing off press releases using the name and Office of the Chief Press Secretary/ Media Adviser to give their criminal, selfish and foolish intent some measure of credibility.

    The recent Edo State governorship election, like many others in the past involving Distinguished Senator Uzodimma, has provided them with yet another opportunity to feed the public with lies, lies and more lies, a vocation that seems to be their only known source of livelihood.

    In their desperation to discredit Governor Uzodimma on the outcome of the Edo governorship poll, they have cast innuendos; insinuating that he has rejected the outcome of the governorship election and that he had accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of being compromised, and that the All Progressive Congress (APC) will get judgment from the tribunal.

    Their insinuation also includes that the governor said that the entire process was marred by irregularities from INEC officials who, they claimed, sabotaged the system.

    Obviously relying on the position of Governor Uzodimma as the APC Deputy Chairman for the Edo Governorship Campaign Council, the criminal-minded writers of the irritating fake news did not stop at that. They had insinuated that the governor described the entire exercise as shameful.

    If the authors of the fake reports still have some brain in their head, something would have told them that since Governor Uzodimma is neither from Edo nor Chairman of the APC Media Campaign Council, the mischief they were primed to accomplish will not fly. Of course they don’t have sense.

    They were also so daft to know that the governor was not a candidate in the said election and would not have spoken on an election he was not a candidate.

    But they could not have advised themselves rightly because having been paid princely to discredit the Imo State governor, their sense of reasoning would automatically be blurred.

    The hallmark of credible news report is the voice the writer adds to it and Reuters could not have published a report that dwells on hearsay like the one many may have been deceived to think emanated from that respected news medium, but we know, did not.

    To also say that in the buffoonery, nay tomfoolery, of those who said Governor Uzodimma rejected the Edo governorship election result, they signed off with the name of the Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser in a press release purportedly issued on September 19, 2020, but with a template that actually read May 20, 2020, tells a lot about their desperation to blackmail the governor and everything he stands for, using every opportunity at their disposal.

    We have always known, since the coming on board of this administration, about the existence of stuntmen who maintain templates with which they pull off stunts mainly fake news, thinking they will derail the 3-R mantra vision of Governor Uzodimma. That, to us, is mission impossible because the governor knows where he is headed with Imo people.

    Governor Uzodimma’s passion about taking Imo out of the woods, particularly from the grips of political hawks and merchants of blackmail whose umbilical chord seem tied to fake news and other negative tendencies that cause disaffection cannot be derailed.

    He has refused to be distracted, even with the fake news that members of the public are fed with from time to time, because he is quite aware of the reason for them.

  • Court stops Obaseki from participating in PDP primary

    Court stops Obaseki from participating in PDP primary

    Idowu Sowunmi

    A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Monday stopped Edo State Governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant, Godwin Obaseki, from participating in the June 25 governorship primary of the party in the state.

    A PDP member, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, had filed an ex parte motion, praying the court to bar Obaseki from taking part in the primary.

    The applicant also sought a court order to restrain the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, and the party from allowing Obaseki to buy the forms for the primary, other than those who bought the forms within the party’s timetable initially published for the election.

    Joined in the suit are: Secondus, PDP, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), chairman of the party screening committee, Kingsley Chinda, and other members of the committee.

    Ruling on the motion, Justice E. A. Obile of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt granted the applicant’s prayers and ordered the interim injunction as requested.

    All the parties in the case were to be served via substituted means.

    Substantive hearing in the case has, however, been adjourned to June 24.

    PDP had announced a waiver for Obaseki to enable him participate in the primary election, even though he joined the party only on June 19.

    The party also reconvened the Chinda screening committee which had ended its assignment on June 5 to screen Obaseki on June 20.

    It would be recalled that one of the PDP aspirants, Gideon Ikhine, had stepped down for Obaseki on June 22 and handed over his campaign office to him.