At press time, the Edo State chapter of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) is defined by division. The decision of the party leadership, 24 hours before the petition-filing deadline, not to contest the victory of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has pitched leaders of the party against each other as Major General Charles Airhiavbere filed a petition alleging irregularities, manipulation and fraud.
Events of the past one week indicated cracks in the ranks of some leaders of the party and kinsmen of Airhiavbere who are angry over the decision of the party to disassociate itself from the petition of its candidate who felt cheated in the way and manner the election was conducted.
The victory jubilation of Oshiomhole and his men may have been punctuated when Barrister Josephine Aliyu, the secretary to the constituted Edo State Election Tribunal confirmed the receipt of a petition by Major General Charles and served the respondent joined in the suit.
She said that the respondents include INEC, the INEC returning officer Professor OsayukiOshodi, who is the Vice-chancellor of the University of Benin, Governor Oshiomhole and the ACN. She also said that the tribunal will fix a date to begin sitting as soon as all the parties are served with the petition.
Shockingly the leadership of the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) backed out of the petition filed by its candidate to explore legal options opened to it to unseat Oshiomhole at the Edo State Governorship Electoral Tribunal but the PDP candidate insisted on going to the tribunal to challenge the results.
Still sulking by the outcome of the result and the psychological impact it has had on its teeming members, the party in a statement signed by the state chairman, Chief Dan Orbihand widely circulated to newsmen in Benin City, stated that “The results of the election are not only ridiculous but also completely at variance with rational reasoning and human expectations.”
In a well scripted statement entitled “LET GOD BE THE JUDGE,” read in part, “Curiously, on Election Day, Gov.Oshiomhole had earlier rejected the way and manner the election was being conducted by INEC when he thought his rigging plan had failed, yet the result of the same election is now being hailed by all because it is PDP that has lost. It has now become a tradition that when the PDP loses an election, the election is free and fair.”
“With the above assessment of the results, PDP is aware of the divergent views and expressions by the public. PDP is also aware of the legal options. However, PDP has fully consulted the leadership of the party both within and outside the state.”
Continuing it added that, “During these consultations, legal opinions were sought and it is the conclusion of the party that while we appreciate the effects the results declared by INEC will have on our teeming members, we are also mindful of the consequences which may run into with protracted litigation.”
The statement concluded: “Consequently, though painful, for now PDP has decided not to file any petition before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in the interest of the state.”
However, the PDP flag bearer General Charles Airhiavbere when contacted on the mobile phone stated that he will address a press after sorting out some salient issues.
However Airhiavbere who spoke through PDP Director of Publicity, Mr. OkharediaIhimekpen said that the recourse to litigation was a noble part of honor “in our belief that the outcome of our action will not only help to deepen democracy and rule of law but will give the good electorate of Edo State a relief and the high spirit urgently required to move Edo State forward in the advancement of democracy”.
“We are also contesting the relevant academic qualifications of the ACN candidate Adams Oshiomhole. He only tendered a modern school leaving certificate without a primary school certificate which by the constitution does not qualify him to contest the election.
Secondly, even the modern school certificate he presented on oath to INEC had also been found to be fake. These are our take to the election petition tribunal”. However he rationalized his decision to contest the results of the elections in the election tribunal on several grounds including that Governor Adams Oshiomhole was invalidly returned by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (Edo State) as duly elected, despite the fact that the election not having been conducted in compliance with the provisions of the electoral Act 2012 (as amended).
He also said that the returning officer Edo State Governorship election wrongly proceeded to declare Adams Oshiomhole winner of the election by issuing form EC8E on the 15th day of July, 2012. In addition he argued that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (Edo State) also subsequently and wrongfully issued Adams Oshiomhole with the certificate of return on behalf of the Independent National Commission (INEC).
Furthermore the PDP candidate said that Adams Oshiomhole who was returned as the winner of the said Election was not qualified to contest for the said Election for the office of the Governor Edo State and that despite the non-revision and non-amendment of the voters register, the ACN amended and criminally altered the voters’ register that were used in various wards and polling units in the three senatorial districts.
But asked about his party’s position on his petition and what appears to be a division within the party, the PDP candidate quipped, “Ask the chairman of the party. I may not be able to make any comment.”
The first sign that all was not well with the PDP after it lost the governorship election emerged when Airhiavbere said he will not congratulate Oshiomhole because according to him Oshiomhole had pre-empted the system that brought him victory with his statement on Election Day indicting the INEC and accusing the PDP of plotting to rig the elections.
As it were on Election Day,Oshiomhole had said “ Prof.Jega and INEC have been an embarrassment to the nation. I am in shock with all the arrangements they have made sensitizing the people, and I told them, INEC need to be sensitized. INEC is the weakest link in the Nigerian democratic chain. I have no faith in what INEC is doing in Benin City.”
Another major fissure emerged when a chieftain of the party and former minister of defense, Major General Godwin Abbey, who reacted from the United States of America, described the party’s petition to the state governorship election petition tribunal as uncalled for. He advised his party and Airhiavbere to work with Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in providing the basic dividends of democracy for the people of Edo State.
He said “I was told my party had gone to court to challenge the governorship election. You see, I just want to advise that my brother Charles Airhiavbere should join hands with Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to build our state, while I also advise him to start working towards 2016”.
Meanwhile opposition has been growing against the petition. A church leader and head of Divine Evangelical Prayer Ministry, Pastor Samson Enweliku revealed that Comrade Governor Oshiomhole has a divine mandate that cannot be challenged in a human court. He said prior to the July 14th gubernatorial poll in the state he had a revelation that the governor was going to win but that the PDP will take over the state come 2015.
He added that the PDP made a mistake by fielding a candidate aging against Oshiomhole. He said in 2015 there will be a deep crisis in ACN as a result of who succeeds Oshiomhole’ and this will lead the PDP into “overrunning the ACN physically, spiritually and every other available means”.
The governor himself has reacted to the decision of the PDP not to contest the July 14 election at the Election tribunal as asserted by Orbih and said that it is a step in the right direction.
The government in a statement said that “I wish to extend my hand of fellowship to all men of goodwill to join hands with government to move the state to the next level, because, despite all the successes recorded in the last three and half years,Edo state is still a work-in-progress.
“I look forward to more collaboration between my government, other political parties and interests in the state. I want to restate my full respect for the PDP leader, Chief Tony Anenih, whom I hold and will continue to hold in high respects.
“I also wish to assure the PDP Candidate, Maj.-Gen Charles Airhiavbere (rtd) whom I regard as a friend, that now that we have put the elections behind us, my doors are open so that together, we may lift our state to the high level where it should be.I however wish to state that other issues raised by the PDP will be commented on another occasion.”
However some stakeholders and members of the Edo State chapter of the Party seem divided over the decision of its candidate in the July 14, 2012 governorship election, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere to challenge the election of Governor Adams Oshiomhole at the State Election Petition Tribunal.Rising from a meeting on Tuesday, Edo South Senatorial leaders and party chairmen said they were in full support and behind Gen. Airhiavbere’s decision to challenge the outcome.
A leader of the party in Edo South, Owere Dickson Imasogie said that “Being very conscious that a child deprived of his constitutional rights has a right to seek justice, we are fully in support and behind our candidate’s resolve to challenge the election results and the eligibility and authenticity of the qualification of his main opponent which is of the A C N in court and in tribunal”,
While thanking the people of the state and party leaders like Chief Tony Anenih, Chief Dan Orbih, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, Esama of Benin and Dr. Sam Ogbemudia, the Edo South leaders viewed with disdain the recent development in the party over whether to contest the election results in the tribunal or not.They said they appreciated the fact that both the party and Gen. Airhiavbere have the constitutional rights to challenge the results of the election in election and in the court of law.
His position however was countered when the former deputy governor of the state and Edo South, (Vice Chairman), Chief Lucky Imaseun, who described the meeting called by Imasogie as illegal and unholy the purported endorsement of and supports to legal action of the party’s flag bearer some of the party leaders in the area led by OwereDickosnImasogie in a statement.
In a press statement yesterday, the Vice-Chairman (Edo South) of the party, and former Deputy Governor of the state, Chief Lucky Imasuen, said Imasogie “ does not have the right and authority to convey such a meeting, neither was he instructed to do so by the party. Edo South declares such a meeting illegal, unholy, inconsequential and null and void”.
But Imasogie in a counter reaction said it would be early for him to join issues with Lucky Imasuen adding that several attempts to reach him on the issue had not yielded results.
“In as much as I don’t want to join issues with him, I don’t want to believe that he (Imasuen) signed the statement. Am a leader of the party and I have the right to call for meeting in my zone on the way out for the party. For us, this is golden opportunity to that should not be allowed to go like that,” he added.
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