Edo Decides: Don’t intimidate voters, opposition parties tell security agents

Some opposition parties in the country have called on security forces deployed to the governorship election in Edo State not to intimidate voters.

They made the call amid reports that a heavy retinue of soldiers has been deployed on the borders of Edo with Kogi, Delta, Ondo and Anambra on Thursday, ahead of today’s governorship poll.

Detachments of soldiers and policemen were spotted along Akpapava Road, Ring Road, Sapele Road bypass, Ramat Park, Benin-Agbor Road and Oregbeni, a known dark spot in the city.

Seventeen political parties will participate in the election with the All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party leading contenders in the election.

Reacting in an interview with our correspondent on Friday, the National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Ladipo Johnson, said that Saturday’s election will be a litmus test for all parties involved.

Johnson also expressed reservations about the use of the military, stressing that the soldiers should have been left alone to focus on the battle against insurgency in the North.

He said, “I don’t think it is normal to have the military patrol, especially during elections. But those who are in the government at the centre will always tell you that it is normal. They want to reinforce security and so on. I think the military should be busy trying to end an insurgency that we have in some parts of the country.

“But again, nothing we say matters to this government. Let us see the roles they will play there in Edo on Saturday. Whether they will ensure peace, calm and relative order as we expect. We will also look out for what INEC will be doing to see if there is a level playing field for everybody.

“The truth is that Edo is a litmus test. It will let us know whether we are improving from the general election or retrogressing. We shouldn’t pre-empt them. But when we see the outcome of the Edo election, we will know what is coming to Ondo.”

The National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, warned against unnecessary show of force, which he said may prove counterproductive.

He said, “The position of the Labour Party in the Edo election is very clear. We are not among the two parties engineering controversies and fighting each other. As you can see, the LP camp is busy conducting its campaign and meeting people in a peaceful manner. And we are winning a lot of support.

“If they attempt to militarise the election, it is not to the knowledge of the Labour Party. Our focus and aim is to have a free and fair election. We neither have the state nor federal muscles like these other parties.

“But we know we have the people’s muscle. At the end of the day, the people’s wish will come into play.”

The National Deputy Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Abdullahi Ibrahim, however, urged for restraint, saying it may be too early to pre-empt what the deployment of the military will achieve in the exercise.

Ibrahim also described the presence of soldiers in a democratic process as an aberration.

He said, “For us as a party, we are not going to pre-empt what is going to happen with the deployment of soldiers in the manner they came in. We have been reassured by the chief of defence staff who was with the PDP and stakeholders in Edo a fortnight ago that it is nothing to worry about. Ideally, that is supposed to be an aberration to civil democracy. In an election in just one state, you are deploying soldiers in the manner they are doing.

“Again, we have observed some anomalies in the manner of desperation that the APC is deploying in the state. It is not so surprising to see the military being deployed. We are only expecting that the military will operate as they promised within the confines of professionalism and decorum. That is the assurance they gave when we had a meeting with them. But we are also going to be vigilant because we have deployed our people to dedicate themselves to observing any untoward behaviour by the military.

“Until the exercise is conducted tomorrow (today) and the conduct of the military is seen violating what they promised, we are welcoming their presence and expect that they will be as professional as they pledged. It is only then we can commend them at the end of the exercise.”

Meanwhile, the National Publicity Director of the APC, Bala Ibrahim, urged the people of Edo State not to panic, saying the deployment of security operatives and show of force ahead of a crucial election is a normal occurrence.

Bala said, “There is this saying by the famous founder of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, that those who fail to prepare are preparing to fail. The allegation about the conduct of elections in Nigeria every time is that security operatives are always lagging behind. They are either taken unaware or always caught napping. That is the general general accusation.

“Now, when it comes to matters of security, no amount of preparation or presence of operatives should be seen as intimidating or an overkill, except where there are excesses at the point of voting. But if the presence of security is to guarantee peace and protection for people to exercise their civic responsibility, I see no reason why people should panic.

“It is normal and this thing has been done in so many places, especially in volatile areas. Security operatives do what they call a ‘show of force’. It is not intended to intimidate but to give confidence to people who want to exercise their civic rights. They are going to be provided with the cover needed to discharge that responsibility without intimidation from anybody.”