In what’s been seen as rare support for his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) acting National Chairman, Umar Iliya Damagum, has opposed what has been alleged to be the handiwork of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike in his bid to get one up on governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo and the PDP in the state coming election.
Both Obaseki and Wike have been fierce rivals and their political differences have worsened over the years. Wike’s political associates lost out of the PDP structure in Edo and have not been accommodated in the state government under Obaseki.
On his part, Damagum, a strong political ally of Wike, who has been allegedly disrupting the PDP, has not spoken for a long time in support of the party despite being the acting national chairman.
He has been accused of running the party as dictated by Wike, who has continued to keep a firm grip on the party despite being a minister in the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The acting chairman has been advised to resign by party stakeholders who have accused him of leaving Wike to harass and make things difficult for one of the governors in the party, Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara.
Together with the PDP National Secretary and the Legal Advisor, Damagum has been accused of running the party aground for Wike where the party has no say on national issues and cannot muster courage to act as the leading opposition party.
Despite several documented anti-party activities levelled against Wike, with calls for his suspension at best expulsion, the national chairman has refused to act.
It has left Wike in the clear where he dictates what happens in the PDP including rooting for the APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo in the Edo election against the candidate of his supposed party, Asue Ighodalo.
On Wednesday, the PDP Edo State chapter accused Wike of ensuring his cousin, Anugbum Onuoha, who was a commissioner in his government when he was River state governor of being posted to the state as the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the September 21 election.
Onuoha served as Special Adviser on Lands to Wike while he was governor.
The PDP through its Edo State Chairman, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, also rejected the appointment of the Edo Commissioner of Police, CP Nemi Edwin-Iwo, whom the party said is a staunch associate of Wike. He was redeployed to the state a month ago.
Aziegbemi said, “We are worried that the election may have been compromised even before it starts. This is because we are certain that the officials responsible for conducting a free, fair, and credible election are close associates of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
“The INEC REC in Edo is Wike’s cousin and served as a Special Adviser on Lands to him in Rivers State. Everyone in Nigeria knows the antecedents of Wike and his conduct during elections in Rivers State.
“So, we will not close our eyes and watch him deploy the same tactic in Edo State.
“The current Edo State Commissioner of Police, Nemi Edwin-Iwo, is also a close associate of Wike. We believe he would not act in the best interest of Edo people nor even in the spirit and letters of the electoral act.
“So, it is no wonder that the Police have been acting arbitrarily in the run up to the election,” the PDP chairman in Edo said.
Damagum threw his support for the PDP and its candidate at last having never spoken until the Thursday press conference despite increasing spate of violence and cries of marginalisation that the PDP was under attack and that the APC has recruited to the state terror squad for the election.
He boasted that the candidate of the PDP, Ighodalo is heading to a sweeping victory with almost 70% of the expected votes at the election, saying he enjoys the overwhelming support of the majority of the people across party lines.
He said voters have made up their mind to vote Ighodalo as their next governor given his established track record of performance, proficiencies, experience, passion for the people as articulated in his Prosperity for All Manifesto which embodies the Will and aspiration of the generality of the people of the state.
He alerted Nigerians that since the APC and “its lacklustre candidate, Okpebholo realized that they have no chance in the election, they have resorted to violence, manipulations and using some rogue police operatives to harass, arrest, torture and detain innocent citizens of Edo State, particularly members and supporters of the PDP.”
He said credible information available to the PDP indicated that “APC-controlled torture squad arresting and detaining our members is allegedly operating with the knowledge of the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, CP Nemo Edwin-Iwo.”
While saying that as of Thursday, “no fewer than 16 of our members and supporters have been arrested” for what he called “trumped-up charges” and “whisked to Abuja where they are detained and tortured,” he said “no fewer than 15 others have been marked for arrest by the police on trumped-up charges.”
He stated that the “intention of the APC in this sinister plot is to terrify the people of Edo State, prevent them from coming out to vote and seize the opportunity to manipulate and rig the election, a plot which is being firmly resisted by the people.
The situation he said is further exacerbated by the “attempt by the Inspector General of Police to unconstitutionally disband the Edo State Security Corps statutorily established by the Edo State House of Assembly.
“There are apprehensions in Edo State that this is an attempt by IGP Police to allow the APC thugs to have a field day to unleash violence on the people and pave the way for manipulation of the election in favour of the APC.
“The PDP for the umpteenth time cautions the APC and the compromised Police operatives to note that they have pushed the people of Edo State to the wall and that the reaction of the people in the face of these unwarranted attacks and assault is better imagined.
“The APC is stretching the patience and forbearance of the people of Edo State to the limits and should be ready to face the consequences.”
Damagum further said the APC is “attempting to infiltrate and compromise the INEC by reportedly influencing the appointment of a known APC apologist and supporter, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, who is notorious for his partisan association with APC leaders, as the Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).
“The appointment of this overtly partisan individual as Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner is completely unacceptable as he is susceptible to bias, manipulations by the APC and therefore not in position to guarantee a transparent, free, fair and credible governorship election in Edo State.”
He demanded, “The IGP should immediately redeploy the Edo State Commissioner of Police CP Nemo Edwin-Iwo so as to guarantee confidence, peace and security during the Edo State governorship election.
“The IGP should immediately release all members of the PDP being detained by the Police.
“The IGP should desist from interfering in the activities of Edo State Security Corps, a body lawfully established under the law.
“The PDP demands that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu immediately redeploys the Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Dr. Anugbum Onuoha from the State especially now that people are already agitated against this obnoxious appointment.
“This is not only to guarantee a credible governorship election in Edo State but also to avert the ugly scenario witnessed in the 2023 Adamawa State Governorship election where a biassed Resident Electoral Commissioner and other INEC officials nearly lost their lives in the hands of an agitated electorate.”