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OSSIEC Chair: Police Sealed Our Office, Arrested Officials With Voting Materials

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Hashim Abioye, chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), has accused the police of arresting election officials and blocking journalists from covering the local government elections.

In a video shared on X, Abioye said several OSSIEC officials were detained while on their way to polling units on Saturday.

He also alleged that police officers sealed off the commission’s office, preventing journalists from collecting accreditation tags and jackets needed to cover the election.

Abioye, however, assured voters that materials had been deployed to affected areas, adding that there were sufficient resources on the ground to proceed with the election.

He also apologised to journalists for the accreditation issues, attributing them to the police sealing off the commission’s office.

“So far so good, the reports have been positive and the conduct has been very smooth and peaceful as against the false alarm raised by the police. Everywhere is calm,” Abioye said.

“The only thing is that in some of the areas in which materials are supposed to have arrived for voters to cast their votes, we had reports of police arresting our officials.

“I don’t know on whose order because there is no court order that warranted the arrest of officers of our officials.

“As it is, we have deployed materials to those units because we have enough on the ground.

“For our people in the media community, I want to apologise for the inadequacy on the tags and the jackets because we have enough but the police sealed our office and that was not warranted at all.”

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Abioye’s statement comes after the police called for the suspension of the LG election, citing a high likelihood of violence and security threats.

On Friday, Muyiwa Adejobi, the police spokesperson, said “credible intelligence” suggests that some individuals are planning to disrupt the peace in Osun state.

Meanwhile, Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun state, assured stakeholders of a free and fair election, urging candidates to sell their agendas peacefully and warning against violence or misinformation.

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Ighodalo vows to Appeal tribunal verdict upholding Okpebholo’s election victory

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 19 September governorship election in Edo, Mr Asue Ighodalo, has said he will challenge the tribunal’s judgment at the Court of Appeal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Edo election tribunal, sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, reaffirmed Gov. Monday Okpebholo’s victory and dismissed the petitions from the PDP and Ighodalo.

Ighodalo, in a statement in Benin, said his decision to challenge the judgment aimed to protect Edo people’s collective rights and ensure they freely determine their future.

“Today, the Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal delivered its judgment on our petition challenging the outcome of the Sept. 21, 2024 election in our dear state.

“While we may not all agree with the verdict, we remain steadfast in our belief that the rule of law must continue as democracy’s foundational bedrock.

“Our pursuit of justice affirms our firm belief that Edo people’s right to freely choose their leaders through credible, free, and fair elections must always prevail.

“As a committed democrat, I respect the judiciary as the last hope of the common man and urge all Edo people to remain peaceful, calm, and law-abiding,” he stated.

Ighodalo said this was not the end of their journey but the beginning of a greater struggle for justice, democracy, and the sanctity of the people’s mandate.

He commended the people for their massive support, sincere love, and belief in their shared vision for a prosperous Edo, which had fuelled their journey.

“For us, this has never been about personal ambition but about our conviction to create a clear ‘Pathway to Prosperity’ for Edo while upholding democracy’s core values.

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“I have, therefore, instructed my legal team to proceed to the Court of Appeal to challenge this decision, which we consider a serious miscarriage of justice.

“This is not about me or any single individual; it is about democracy’s essence, our collective right to determine our future, and our legacy for generations unborn.

“We remain resolute. We remain committed. We shall not waver in our pursuit of truth and justice,” Ighodalo said. (NAN)

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Reactions trail Edo tribunal judgement

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Mixed reactions have continued to trail the tribunal’s judgment affirming the election of Gov. Monday Okpebholo as the winner of the Sept. 19 governorship election in Edo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Edo election tribunal, sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, reaffirmed Okpebholo’s victory.

It dismissed the petitions filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo.

Reacting to the judgment, the Edo chapter of the PDP expressed disappointment with the ruling delivered by the three-man election petition tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi.

Chris Nehikhare, the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP Caretaker Committee, said the party was waiting to receive the Certified True Copy of the judgment before making further decisions.

“PDP is disappointed with the judgment of the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led panel.

“As a party, we are waiting for the Certified True Copy. We will study it and decide on our next course of action,” Nehikhare said.

Mr Aslem Ojezua, a former PDP chieftain who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), said he was unsurprised by the tribunal’s decision, as the petition lacked merit.

“What I expect now is for Ighodalo to congratulate Okpebholo and join hands in solving the problems confronting our people and communities,” Ojezua said.

He added that the verdict was clear, highlighting the distinction between legal and sensational issues.

Chief Dan Orbih, PDP National Vice Chairman (South-South), said the tribunal had spoken, and they could not question its ruling.

Orbih stated that PDP would now focus on bringing back members who left during the primary election that produced Asue Ighodalo as the party’s candidate.

ALSO READ:  Okpebholo: Edo govt denies plan to cause crisis if suspects are arrested

He emphasised that efforts would commence to rebuild the party in Edo State following the election setback.

Orbih blamed the PDP’s struggles on former Gov. Godwin Obaseki, accusing him of driving members away from the party.

“Unfortunately, the former governor brought distress, division, and disaster to the PDP.

“Today, I did not see his face among those at the tribunal, waiting for the judgment outcome.

“As it stands, lawyers will study the verdict and make a decision after a careful review of the well-established ruling,” he said. (NAN)

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Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal Confirms Monday Okpebholo as Governor

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The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has officially recognized Monday Okpebholo as the legitimate governor of Edo State.

In a series of three judgments, the tribunal rejected petitions submitted by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Action Alliance, and Accord Party.

The tribunal determined that the PDP did not present any witnesses to substantiate its claims of overvoting.

Specifically, the PDP failed to bring forth polling unit agents from the locations where they alleged electoral discrepancies occurred.

Furthermore, the tribunal noted that among the 19 witnesses presented by the petitioners, 14 were ward and local government agents, while the primary witness, who claimed to be a director of strategy for the PDP, had no involvement in the election’s execution.

Additionally, the tribunal remarked that the BVAS evidence submitted by the petitioners was inadequately presented.

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