EDO STATE: The hike in petrol price and its scarcity in some remote areas of many state of the federation will negatively affect the forth coming schedule governorship election of Edo state
The independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) through the chairmam Prof Mahmud Yakubu, has said the current petrol price will increase its financial commitment to the transport unions that would be involved in Saturday’s Edo State governorship election..
The surge in fuel prices, which has impacted the operational costs of transport companies is the major reason for the electoral body to be asking for additional money to run the election without hitches.
The decision followed a meeting held last Friday at the INEC State Office in Benin-City, the Edo State capital, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, made the statement known.
The meeting, chaired by INEC boss, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had the electoral body holding discussions with representatives of the three major transport unions – National Union of Road Transport Workers, National Association of Road Transport Owners and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria.
Rapidospace news learnt that The discussions, which culminated in a new Memorandum of Understanding that addressed various concerns related to the election logistics, came after concerns were raised about the availability and cost of transportation for the timely distribution of election materials such as ballot boxes, voting machines and other sensitive resources.
Oyekkami went on to say that the unions would support the election process by mobilizing their personnel and resources and that they would work together to make sure the election was successful.
He noted that the revised funding aimed to ensure the unions effectively contributed to the smooth conduct of the election. Oyekanmi noted that the revised funding aimed to ensure the unions effectively contributed to the smooth conduct of the election.
The three unions then pledged to work hard for the successful conduct of the Edo Governorship election after INEC agreed to increase the amount payable to them due to the increase in the price of fuel per liter. Meanwhile, with just four days to go before the election,
The political landscape in Edo saw a new turn when the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Asue Ighodalo, filed a N20 billion defamatory suit against Senator Adams Oshiomhole of the All Progressives Congress, even as he dared the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, by claiming the former Rivers governor had no control to decide his fate in the poll.
Ighodalo, through his counsel, Ayo Asala (SAN) & Associates, sought an immediate retraction and apology for the comments made by Oshiomhole on the defunct Planwell Scheme – which allegedly scammed many Edo People in the 1990s – during an All Progressives Congress ahead of the pollcoming up on Saturday.
A letter by Ighodalo’s lawyers, dated September 16, 2024 and addressed to Oshiomhole read, “It is our information that at a campaign rally of your Party on Saturday, 14th of September, 2024, you (Oshiomhole) made statements to the effect that our aforesaid client, Dr. Ighodalo, was associated with or participated in an alleged pyramid scheme known as ‘PLANWELL’ in which numerous Nigerians were defrauded of their hard-earned funds.
“This false and unfounded statement of yours was broadcast live on television and has received extensive exposure on electronic and social media.
It is sad to note that despite your status as an elder and holder of a public office, you appear to have developed a pattern of spewing false statements in the public domain purely for the achievement of your political ends.
Our client is a successful Nigerian lawyer and business executive, whose remarkable background from birth to the present is fully available to the public. Our client has no affiliation with and could never have been associated in any way with the alleged “PLANWELL” scheme, which you have maliciously linked to our client.
The letter stated further, “In consequence of the foregoing, therefore, our client demands the following: i) an immediate and unqualified retraction and apology for your false, defamatory and malicious statements which should be published in at least two National Television Networks and three nationally circulating newspapers.
Pay to our client damages in the sum of 20 billion Naira for your false, defamatory, and malicious statements
Further take notice that such action will be instituted without further notice or correspondence to you in that regard whatsoever,” it added.
In a similar move, Ighodalo, on Monday, stated that Wike didn’t have the power to determine the next governor of Edo. The contestant’s statement was a response to Wike’s claim that he told Governor Godwin Obaseki he won’t back Ighodalo during the governorship poll.
Ighodalo expressed disappointment in the position of the FCT minister, saying that wasn’t exactly the outcome of the meeting he earlier had with him.
He said, “Sometimes when gentlemen talk in some kind of privacy or arrangements, we don’t voice out what has been said. But it is not correct that (former) Governor Wike said he wasn’t going to support us. That’s incorrect. But events may have overtaken his decision at that point and he is free to change his mind.
“I believe, as a gentleman, he would adhere to the word he gave me. But if he changed his mind, so be it. When he and I spoke, we deliberated on issues around fair governance, and how we can create a better country and Edo State. At the end of the day, we ended the conversation at a point where Wike said he would mind his business and Edo State is not part of his business.
