Edo Set For LG Poll, But Opposition Kicks Over Short Time Frame

More than a year after the council executives in Edo State were dissolved, and barely 12 months to the general elections, the state is ready to conduct local government elections across its 18 areas.

The 18 areas that make up Edo are Akoko-Edo, Etsako East, Etsako Central, Etsako West, Owan West, Owan East, Esan North-East, Esan Central, Esan South-East, Esan West, Igueben, Ovia South-West, Ovia North-East, Egor, Uhunmwonde, Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha and Orhionmwon.

After the last 18 local government chairmen were directed to hand over the affairs of the councils to their respective administrative heads on Friday, March 5, 2021, aspirants had high hopes that the election would be conducted in the not too distant future.

But to their greatest surprise, their expectations were briefly dimmed for more than 365 days, and were subsequently lightened up with the news, which filtered in on Thursday, March 24, 2022, that the election would hold on April 19, less than 30 days after the notice of election was announced by the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC).

It is worthy to note that the electoral commission led by Justice James Oyomire (Rtd.) immediately swung into action by releasing the timetable for the election the same day the seven-man committee was inaugurated by Governor Godwin Obaseki.

The news of the election date, which political observers and residents say came as a shock because of the short time frame, may alter preparations ahead of the poll as well as hamper the chances of people nursing the ambition to contest for the different positions.

Interestingly, in the last election, which took place in March 2018, during Obaseki’s first time as Governor elected on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), the party won all the 18 chairmanship seats defeating all other political parties that participated in the election except the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that boycotted the election.

The PDP, back then, questioned the membership composition of the EDSIEC, and cited that the commission did not comply with the relevant sections of the constitution on electoral matters and as such will go to court to challenge the process of the electoral law as amended by the Edo State House of Assembly.

However, ahead of the election, the table has changed direction with Obaseki serving his second term after he was brought to power by the PDP, the present ruling party that allegedly cried foul and refused to take part in the last election.

Regardless, since he was re-elected in 2020, members of the PDP have been embattled over the harmonisation of new members that defected alongside with him to the party. As a result, there was suspension and counter suspension of members as well as hurling of insults between leaders.

Many observers are of the view that the three-man reconciliation committee set up by the national leadership of the party should factor in the internal wrangling prior to the election so as to either save the day, eventually, or deepen the crisis that may affect the party’s chances at the forthcoming elections.

Speaking at a recent meeting with state executives of registered political parties organised by EDSIEC, Tony Aziegbemi, the Edo State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party assured that the issues would be settled before the election.

According to him, “In PDP, we manage ourselves, we resolve our issues and that is what we do. Trust me, before the elections our issues will be resolved.

“We are getting ready for the elections. We will inform our members so that they will be ready for the elections.”

Executive members of the main opposition party in the state, the All Progressive Congress (APC), who were conspicuously absent from the meeting, which is in line with the notice of election that was conveyed by the seven-man EDSIEC led by Justice James Oyomire (Rtd.), said they have resolved to participate in the forthcoming elections for local government councils in the State after earlier plans to boycott the poll.

The party had opined that though the Edo State House of Assembly had passed a bill amending the Edo State local government law 2022 and the establishment of the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission law 2022, the notice of election recently released by the commission is in contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act and it is “null and void”.

Peter Igbinigie, publicity secretary of Edo APC, who gave the submission in an interview with BusinessDay in Benin City, pointed out that the law applicable to all parties to the election is 90 days and the EDSIEC cannot amend the law to be 20 days as against the electoral act.

“First, if you want to conduct an election that will be fair, free and credible, the law must be give all stakeholders the opportunity to participate. And that is why, the electoral act says that the notice of election must not be less than 90 days but in this case, the House of Assembly hurriedly amended the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission law to reduce the days from 90 to 20 days,” Igbinigie said.

The Edo APC scribe, while lamenting the inadequate time opportunity for aspirants to campaign, faulted the non-provision of the local government councils election in the 2022 fiscal year, saying “it is unconstitutional, undemocratic and a fundamental flaw ahead of the election.

But, in a recent meeting of the party’s executives, Igbinigie backtracked, saying that the APC is fully prepared and will participate in the elections.

He said the decision was “in line with the directives of the national leadership, which approved the party’s participation in the election despite its misgivings.

“The Edo State APC emerged from an emergency meeting. Prior till now we had said we will not participate in the elections. But the National leadership of our party has decided that we should participate despite our misgivings such as budgetary provisions for the exercise among other issues.

“We are already prepared and ready to go into the elections headlong. We had said before that anytime the PDP government in the state is ready to conduct free fair and credible elections into the Local governments, we are ready to present our best. This is still our position.

Speaking on the length of time allotted to the election, Bishop Akhalamhe, chairman, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and 2019 Edo governorship candidate, said the Commission can’t just give 21 days’ notice to political parties to prepare for an election and one week, from March 30 to April 6, to conclude primaries.

Akhalamhe, while noting that the announcement of the election is a welcomed development, however, said the short period of time for the conduct calls for concern and in due time, the party will communicate with the commission as regards their position either to participate or to abandon the election.

“For us in Edo State, we have about 14 political parties in the state, and I do not know why the rush. Given 21 days notice for political parties to prepare for an election and one week to conclude primaries; for us, in ZLP, it is a short notice to prepare.

“If there is an amendment to the provisions of the law, copies of such amendment should have been made to stakeholders for us to peruse to see the number of days allotted or number of days for notice of election to stakeholders. And to also see if due process was followed in the amendment in accordance with the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.

“The Electoral Act 2010 as amended made it clear that political parties should be given 90 days to conduct or prepare themselves for an election just to give them ample time to spend for the election; a case study of Katsina State that has fixed date for local government election in the state.

“The notice of election was issued January 11 for an election that will take place April 11, which is a three-month period for political parties to get prepared for such election,” Akhalamhe said.

He further said: “To this end, as the chairman, we will communicate our position to you as regards our participation considering the time allotted to this election.”

However, Joseph Omorogbe, Edo State chairman, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), said: “The election was long overdue and now, that it has come, it is our hope that all political parties should go back to the drawing board with a view to preparing for the election.

“There is no election that is too short. So, now that it has come, we will embrace it. I know there will be a lot of lacuna but that will not stop us because we are determined that the new EDSIEC should conduct a free, fair and credible election for the masses.

According to him, the local government election is the only election that affects the people at the grassroots; it is the only election that the people have the feelings that comes from the government.

Justice James Oyomire (Rtd.), chairman of EDSIEC, on his part, said the time frame for the election may be short but it is doable, adding that every political party has equal stake in the election.

Oyomire, who noted that the recent meeting with all political parties was in accordance with the mandate to conduct credible election, urged political actors to see the election as a contest and not warfare.

“Our stake is to conduct an election that Edo State will be proud of. I want to assure that whatever we are doing is within the ambit of the law passed by the Edo State House of Assembly as the conduct of the election at the grassroots. We will not deviate from it and nobody can Influence our decision,” he said.