Edo Poll: Ex- Lawmaker Urges Security Agents Not To Dismiss Oshiomhole’s Alarm

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Sunday, September 11th, 2016

Ayodele Adegbuyi, Ado Ekiti

EDO, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) A member of the seventh House of Representatives, Hon Bamidele Faparusi, has advised the security agencies not to dismiss with the wave of hands, Edo State Governor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s accusation that over 8,000 militants had infiltrated Edo State to destabilize the governorship election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday postponed the election earlier scheduled for Saturday, September 10 to September 28 on the advice of the police and the Department of State Security (DSS) over suspicion of palpable security threat in the state.

Speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti at the weekend, the chieftain of the APC advised the security agencies to flush out the criminals that had infiltrated the state to rig the election for a particular candidate in the impending poll.

Faparusi said Oshiomhole’s , being the Chief Security Officer of Edo State had accused some governors in the south south, of spending billions of naira to bring the militants to the state to carry out the nefarious act .

He said jettisoning the accusation or treating the allegation as mere political statement could be counter-productive not only to the conduct of the highly pulsating poll, but to the wellbeing of Edo residents.

Faparusi advised the chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Niger Delta Region to come to terms with the reality that gone were the days when elections were being allegedly determined by few powerful politicians in the area, saying President Muhammadu Buhari would take decisive actions against whoever involves in electoral malfeasance in Edo governorship poll.

“I believe the people of Edo State reserve the right to choose whoever that will govern them and not the sole business of few cliques who see themselves to be above the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.

“We knew how elections were being decided in Edo State before. We understood that results were being concocted by few powerful individuals, but that time had gone .The Edo people will decide who will become their Governor this time around.

“But we are pleading with the police, DSS, and other security apparatchiks of government to flush out these perceived criminals, because no blood of innocent Nigerian citizen worth being shed because
of election of a certain person.

“We appeal to the members of our party to be civil and peaceful in their conducts and comportment before, during and after the election, so that they can be alive to celebrate the victory of our highly
sellable candidate, Mr Godwin Obaseki. “Governor Oshiomhole has done the people of Edo proud and time to reward excellence and shame the evil doers is now.

“I plead with Edo people to show understanding with the postponement and remain unflagging in their beliefs to come out massively on election day to repel the forces of darkness who are poised to destabilize the poll, for the entrenchment and consolidation of democratic gains for the people of Edo State”, he stated.