Edo poll: Civil society groups urge IG to lift ban on ESSN

The Edo State Civil Society Organisations on Thursday urged the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to consider lifting the ban on the Edo State Security Network now that the state governorship election is over.

The group made the call in Benin City, the state capital, at its post-Edo 2024 governorship election press conference.

Prior to the September 21 governorship election, Agbetokun had announced a ban on the activities of the ESSN.

The group, through its Coordinator General, Omobude Agho, said the presence of the network helped reduce crime since its creation in the state.

“I appeal to the Inspector General of Police as a matter of urgent security importance to lift the suspension on the ESSN whose suspension was due to the election which is now concluded”, Agho appealed.

Agho, while commending the peaceful conduct of the governorship election in the state, faulted the major political parties for engaging in vote buying which has undermined the electoral process.

“The polls held without violence. However, in several polling units, vote buying became a common sight and the security personnel didn’t act in enforcing the law against such an act.

“Votes were freely sold and bought by the two major political parties between the sum of N10,000 and N20,000 or even far less depending on the location or environment.

“All these were carried out in a very agreeable and peaceful atmosphere. In some cases, some voters returned home without casting their votes when they couldn’t get a satisfactory bargain”, Agho added.

He also faulted the way security agencies allegedly took materials away from their collation centres without allowing the various party agents to go in with them.

“It should be noted that, at the close of polls in some voting centres like Garrick Memorial School on Ekehuan Road in Oredo and Western Boys High School in Ikpoba Okha, security agencies forcefully moved INEC officials and materials to INEC headquarters for collation which is against the usual process, whereas in the proper order, collated results are moved from units to local government collation centre from where it will be moved to INEC headquarters for final collation and announcement.

“While these collation abnormalities were going on, over 70 per cent of results from polling units have already been received and registered in the INEC IREV portal by officials of INEC.

“It was also shocking to observe that party agents and accredited observers were barred from entering the INEC headquarters to monitor the materials that were brought in by the heavily armed soldiers and other security agencies who had barricaded the entire area, which event raised protests around INEC headquarters.

“This action of the security agencies and INEC gives room for suspicion, compromise and partisanship that makes the election not pass the integrity test and leaves a taste in posterity,” he added.