The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hinted that it may not sign the Peace Accord ahead of the Edo State governorship election over what it said is a war being waged against it by the Nigeria Police.
The state governor and leader of the party in the state, Godwin Obaseki made the revelation on Wednesday when he received the Chairman of the National Peace Committee (NPC) and former Military Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, who was on a courtesy visit to the Government House in Benin City, the Edo State capital, ahead of the signing of the Peace Accord on September 12, 2024.
The governor, during his interaction with Abubakar in Benin City, expressed worry that the Police under the manipulation of the APC, has arrested over 10 PDP chieftains who they perceived would be strong political opposition to them in the coming election, including the serving Chairman of Esan West Local Government Area, Hon. Collins Aigbogun, who was arrested and whisked to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
He noted that when he heard the council chairman was arrested, he reached out to the Edo State Commissioner of Police, asking that due process be followed and that the matter be handled within the State’s jurisdiction.
Unfortunately, he said the directive was flouted, a situation he said undermined his authority as the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the State.
He also noted that the PDP chairman had also written two petitions to the IGP over the harassment of the party leaders, which has not been attended to.
Obaseki therefore queried how one enters a peace accord with an umpire who, from the outset, has shown partisanship.
He therefore demanded the immediate unconditional release of the PDP chieftains who were arrested in gestapo style by the Police and were whisked to secret holding centres.
He stated that if these PDP leaders were legally arrested, they should be charged to courts in Benin City to answer for whatever infractions they are said to have committed.
He said, “You are very conversant with the politics of Edo State. You were here in 2020 and we had a very heated election. You know this is an off-cycle election and there is a lot of attention.
Unlike 2020, I am very worried with the developments in the State today. The party met yesterday and we might not likely sign this agreement.
“This is the first time we are witnessing that the person who is supposed to keep and enforce the peace accord is now an active participant in creating a destructive environment.
“The opposition party in the State, the APC has always argued that they may not be as popular and didn’t win in the last election but however promised to use Federal might to determine the outcome of the election.”
Obaseki added, “We thought it’s just rhetoric but in the last four weeks, we’ve had a situation where from the office of the IGP, armed gang policemen have come into Edo State to invade, arrest and take away PDP members.
“As we speak there are 10 PDP members arrested and detained in Abuja without a trial. Two days ago, they came to pick up a local government chairman.
“The Chairman was going back home and was attacked and shot at. We reported and the police asked him to come and give evidence, he came and was arrested. As I speak, he is in Abuja.
“Even if an offence has been committed in Edo State, why will you not charge the offences and try them here in the State. Why take them to Abuja, are the offences of high treason? Why not charge them to court?
“The IGP’s office came in, issued a warrant to arrest 60 PDP supporters, driving all our leaders into hiding. My role as the Chief Security Officer of the State is being made nonsense of by the IGP.
“I heard somebody was arrested and I called the Commissioner to inform him. He said he will come back to me only to hear that he moved the person to Abuja.
“Tell me sir, how can we sign a peace accord in this situation? Clearly, what they are saying is that it’s going to be a violent election and that they are going to use the forces of coercion and intimidation to win elections in Edo whether we like it or not. That is the message.
“Now that the IGP is in town, we say until everybody arrested is brought back to Edo and be tried here in Edo for whatever offences they have committed, we have no confidence that the police will protect us in Edo State during the Governorship election,” Obaseki stated.