Before the next governorship election in Edo State, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) wants the Commissioner of Police and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be sent to work somewhere else right away. The party was worried about what it called a weak security system and an unfair voting process. They thought that the present police commissioner and INEC REC might not be able to guarantee a free and fair election.
Concerns have also been made by the PDP about the arrest and detention of 16 of its members. The party says that security forces are targeting its supporters with false charges. The party says that these arrests are politically driven and are meant to scare its members and keep them from voting. The PDP also said that the way police behave in Edo State suggests that they are biassed against the ruling party, which has made the playing field unfair before the important election.
In a strong statement, the leaders of the PDP asked that both the police commissioner and the INEC REC be replaced with fair officials who will make sure that the election process is fair. The party said that Edo State deserves a fair and peaceful election and that these key people need to be moved to avoid more problems and protect the integrity of the election. The PDP said that if they didn’t do this, it would mean that the election results weren’t real.
There was a national spokesman for the PDP who said that the party had asked the Inspector General of Police and INEC headquarters to step in and help. Concerns from the party come from followers on the ground, who say that security staff have harassed and forced them to do things. The PDP says that these actions are meant to make it harder for the party to run its campaign and tip the scales in favour of the ruling party.
In Nigerian politics, parties often say that security agencies and election officials are biassed, so the call for redeployment is not new. But the PDP says that this case is especially troubling because it thinks that the arrests and threats could make it impossible for people to vote. Civil society groups, the foreign community, and election observers are being asked by the party to keep a close eye on things and make sure the election is run fairly.
The PDP also told its fans to stay calm and follow the law, even though there were threats, and urged a lot of them to show up to vote on election day. The party said again that the election results will determine the future of Edo State and that it will do everything it can to make sure the people’s will is carried out.
The election for governor of Edo is one of the most-anticipated political events in the country, and things have been getting worse between the two main groups. As the election gets closer, the PDP’s demand that key officials be moved around makes things even more complicated in a political climate that is already very tight. What INEC and the police do in answer, as well as what the government does about these demands, will likely shape how the next election is told.