TheNewsGuru

Tag: Edo State

  • Breaking: Police arrest 2 in Edo over electoral violence

    The Police have arrested two persons in Edo over alleged electoral violence during Saturday’s state House of Assembly poll.

    DPO Jimoh Salau, Police Divisional Officer in Ologbo, disclosed this while receiving members of the state Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Elections led by the state’s Commissioner of Police Danmallam Mohammed in Benin.

    Salau said the suspects were arrested for allegedly holding INEC officials hostage and attempting to destroy electoral materials, a process that would have disrupted the officials from carrying out their electoral duties in unit 7 of the ward.

    Responding, Mohammed adjudged the election as generally peaceful.

    He noted that in spite of some challenges, the process was largely peaceful and commended residents for conducting themselves in orderly manner.

    “The police have commenced investigations into the violence and more arrest will be made as the police will not shield anyone involved in perpetrating violence before, during and after the election,” he said.

    While commending other security agencies for their support in ensuring free and peaceful conduct of the election, he emphasised on the need to sustain the synergy between security agencies even after the elections.

     

  • Oshiomhole expresses concern over disruption of polls in Edo

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Adams Oshiomhole has expressed concern over alleged invasion of some polling units by suspected thugs in Edo.

    The polling units, according to him are at Uluoke and Ogbido both in Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.

    Oshiomhole disclosed this shorty after casting his vote at about 2:20pm in his polling Unit 1, Ward 10 in Iyamoh in Etsako West Local Government Area on Saturday.

    He alledged that leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) brought thugs to distrupt the voting process in the area, adding that security officers had to restore normalcy before voting could continue.

    “we have some few reported incidents. you know last week it was clear that the whole of this area was 99 per cent APC.

    “So I believe PDP leaders sent thugs to cause distruption in the next vilage where we got 99 per cent during last elections.

    “They brought thugs and they started shooting to distrupt the process, unfortunately, the people are determined to vote, and I understand that voting has resumed.

    “PDP leaders led the thugs to distrupt election at Uluoke and Ogbido with the same partern trying to cart away election materials again.

    “But the youths in the area stopped them, I understand that the situation is under control in those locations, ” he said.

    The national chairman said there was need for the military to be involved in election monitoring due to frequent snatching of ballot boxes and disruption of election processes by political thugs.

    “That is why when some people are talking against or disputing the idea of deploying the military for elections, only enemies of democracy and enemies of peace will support that kind of campaign.

    “Imagine when just two police men not armed in a polling unit, what can they do when thugs invade the polling centres with sophisticated weapons, they will watch helplessly.

    “If not that we have the army that are on patrol, things would have gotten out of hands.

    He, however, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a peaceful process, adding that the commission did a perfect arrangement in ensuring that the was hitch-free.

     

  • Hundreds of motorists, commuters stranded in Edo

    Hundreds of motorists, commuters stranded in Edo

    Hundreds of motorists and commuters got stranded at the Benin-Auchi-Okene Highway, Etsako West local government area of Edo.

    The development followed the restriction order by the Police command in Edo due to the House of Assemby election in the state.

    Personnel of the Nigerian Army barricaded the Jattu junction axis of the highway to enforce movement restriction order.

    Several heavy duty trucks and smaller vehicles were seen on long queen having been stopped by the military officers refusing them access to the road.

    Some of the commuters who spoke to NAN said they thought they could beat the restriction hour before the commencement of the election.

    Mr Abdul Hassan said: “I am coming from Abuja going to Benin with the intention to get to Benin before 8 a.m.

    “I am surprised that getting to Jattu junction, we were stopped by the military officers who barricaded the road, refusing us to go through.

    “They said we all will remain quietly here until after the election.’’

     

  • Obaseki casts ballot, gives reason for fast, peaceful polls

    Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo, alongside his wife, Besty, on Saturday, cast their votes at about 10:08 a.m. and 10: 07 a.m. respectively in Oredo Local Government Area of the state .

    The governor voted at Ward 4 polling unit 19, Emokpae Primary School.

    The governor, who was in company with his wife, arrived the polling unit at about 10:04 a.m.

    Obaseki told newsmen shortly after voting that the peaceful and fast voting process at his unit, was due to the conduct of only one election in the state.

    “There is no voter apathy because the ballot boxes are already full, we have only one election in the state, so the process is fast.

    “The APC candidates did enough campaign before today, so I believe that voter participation will be higher than that of Feb. 23,” he said.

    He said the state had provided enough security to ensure that the State House of Assembly Election process went on smoothly.

    Some of the voters at the governor’s polling unit lauded the peaceful conduct of the process, noting that they were also impressed by the fast process.

    Electoral materials arrived the units before 6:30 a.m. while accreditation and voting started by 8 a.m.

     

  • 176 candidates for 24 assembly seats in Edo

    176 candidates for 24 assembly seats in Edo

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says 176 candidates from 24 political parties would contest in Saturday’s state House of Assembly election in Edo.

    Mr Timidi Wariowei, INEC Head of Voter Education and Publicity in the state, disclosed this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria in Benin.

    He said 145 of the candidates are males, while the rest 31 are females.

    Wariowei noted that the state has 2, 219, 778 registered voters, with 2,627 polling units and 1,892 voting points.

    He added that the state has 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs), 192 wards, 24 constituencies and three senatorial districts.

    He said about 2, 219, 778 Permanent Voters’ Cards(PVCs) were received from INEC headquarters adding that,1,735,910 of the number were collected by their owners representing about 78 per cent.

    Edo is one of the states where governorship election will not take place on Saturday.

     

  • INEC begins distribution of sensitive materials for House of Assembly election in Edo

    INEC begins distribution of sensitive materials for House of Assembly election in Edo

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Edo office on Thursday, began distribution of sensitive materials to the 18 local government area of the state.

    The materials are meant for the House of Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday.

    The distribution of the materials began at about 10.a.m at the Benin branch of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    The materials were transported in articulated trucks and accompanied by some buses conveying security personnel, electoral officers and political party agents.

    Mr Timidi Wariowei, the Head of Voter Education and Publicity in Edo INEC, told newsmen that the first set of materials were moved to Uhunmwonde, Owan East, Owan West and Akoko-Edo local government areas of the state.

    “The second batch of materials went to Etsako East, Etsako West and Etsako Central local government areas.

    “The third batch also went to Esan West, Esan Central, Esan North East, Esan South East and Igueben local government area of the state respective.

    “We have so far distributed materials to 17 local governments, the last truck will be going to Oredo local government area,” he said.

    Wariowei noted that the process was going on smoothly under the watchful eyes of security personnel and the party agents .

    Edo is one of the few states where governorship election will not take place on Saturday.

     

  • Defeated ADP candidate promises to develop Edo South

    Defeated ADP candidate promises to develop Edo South

    Dr Ese Owie, the defeated Edo South Senatorial candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP) says he remains committed to the development of the senatorial district.

    He told the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Benin that this was in spite of his loss at the recently-concluded Presidential and National Assembly (NASS) elections.

    According to him, the conduct of different stakeholders in my senatorial district during the elections was peaceful.

    Owie said that in spite of losing out in the election, he was encouraged by the fact that what commenced on Nov. 18, 2018, had germinated and blossomed into an enduring movement for change.

    According to him, 2019 National Assembly Elections has come and gone.

    “ I am thankful to the Almighty God for the essentially peaceful conduct of different stakeholders in Edo South and for the relative tranquility that followed.

    “It has been a long, winding and exhausting road but we are thankful to all our supporters, party members, the media and diverse institutional actors for their commitment to our vision for a better and more prosperous Edo South.

    “Yes, I know we will all have wished the outcome of the elections to have been different.

    “Nevertheless, we are collectively victorious as veritable agents of change and foot soldiers in the fight for democracy in our beloved Father land,’’ Owie said.

    He decried the obfuscation of the ADP party logo on the ballot paper as a result of the array of political parties on the ballot paper.

    Owie urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take necessary actions in subsequent elections against voter’s suppression, buying of votes and intimidation of voters.

     

  • Facebook, MainOne to accelerate broadband penetration in Edo, Ogun

    Facebook says it has collaborated with MainOne on metro fiber infrastructure project, toward accelerating broadband penetration in Edo and Ogun.

    Ibrahima Ba, Network Investments Lead for Emerging Markets at Facebook, made this known on Tuesday in Lagos.

    He said that the infrastructure collaboration was part of Facebook’s efforts to connect more people to broadband internet.

    Ba said that as part of the project, MainOne was building and operating approximately 750 km terrestrial fiber infrastructure in Edo and Ogun.

    He said that these open-access transport networks would provide metro fiber connectivity to reach more than one million people in Benin City, Abeokuta, Sagamu and 10 other towns.

    According to him, the metro fiber connectivity will connect mobile operators’ base stations, Internet Service providers (ISP), Points of Presence (POPs) and public locations including schools and hospitals.

    “This partnership will leverage MainOne’s strength as a wholesale telecommunications infrastructure service provider with investment from Facebook and support from local regulatory and state authorities to further deepen broadband penetration in Nigeria.

    “We are working closely with MainOne and other partners to accelerate broadband deployment.

    “In Nigeria, we are bringing together Facebook’s learnings from scaling our global infrastructure with MainOne’s knowledge of the local environment to develop and test new working models for multiple operators to access common infrastructure,’’ he said in a statement.

    MainOne’s Chief Executive Officer, Funke Opeke commended the collaboration and the commitment of Facebook and authorities in Nigeria to improving broadband penetration across the country.

    “MainOne has always been committed to broadband innovation, job creation, as well as growing the digital economy of West Africa.

    “We believe that this partnership and the open-access network we have developed will be beneficial to improving the quality of access and accelerating the digital transformation in Ogun and Edo,’’ Opeke said.

     

  • 2019 elections: Buhari losing Edo state, a strong message to Oshiomole – Chief Orbih

    Chief Dan Osi Orbih, Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has thanked the people of Edo state for voting massively for Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the PDP in the Saturday’s elections.

    Chief Orbih in a statement made available to TheNewsGuru (TNG), said Edo people have sent a strong message to Adams Oshiomhole and the All Progressives Congress (APC) that Edo state is not for sale.

    The statement reads: “Edo PDP wish to thank all Edo people for the support and solidarity exhibited on Saturday 23 February 2019 during the elections to elect President, Senators and House of Representatives members.

    “With the declaration of results by INEC, Edo people have shown that they understand the sermon of political liberation from pretenders who are milking the resources of our state to the detriment of our people.

    “You have sent a strong message to Adams Oshiomhole and his APC that Edo state is not for sale. That their party has brought hunger, sorrows, tears, blood, deaths and hardship. That offering and flaunting N5,000 on election day to buy votes is an insult to the intelligence of Edo people. Despite the manipulation, harassment, intimidation and financial inducement, you gave APC a resounding defeat.

    “Out of 3 Senators, you gave us 2, Out of 9 representatives you gave us 4 and you overwhelmingly voted Atiku so that their boast (Adams Osbiomhole and Gov Godwin Obaseki) of owning Edo and been the determinants of everything that happens in Edo came to naught.

    “Edo PDP is proud of Edo people especially its members for their vigilance and comportment during and after the elections”.

     

  • 2019 elections: Obaseki commends large voter turnout, peaceful conduct of polls

    Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo has commended the large turnout of voters’ and peaceful conduct of election at Ward 4 polling unit 19 in Oredo Local Government Area, where he voted.

    The governor and his wife, Mrs Betsy Obaseki, arrived at the polling unit at Emokpae Primary School at 9:55 am and waited for about 20 minutes in the queue before casting their votes.

    Obaseki told newsmen shortly after voting that he was not expecting voters’ apathy as the APC had fully sensitised the electorate after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) extended the exercise by one week.

    “The turnout is large and for the time I waited here, it has been peaceful.

    “I am impressed with the security arrangement so far. We have not received any incident of election malpractice across the state.

    “We have aerial and water surveillance. I am optimistic that the process will be peaceful all through,’’ he said.

    He, however, urged the electorate across the 18 local government areas of the state to go and cast their votes on time so the process could be completed as planned.

    Some of the voters at the governor’s polling unit commended the peaceful conduct of the process as well as early arrival of materials.

    Electoral materials arrived the units before 7 am while accreditation/voting started by 8 20 am.