From Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Chairman of the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, yesterday, said the party was deeply saddened by the kidnap of nine electoral officers deployed to conduct the party’s ward delegates congress at Etsako Central Local Government Area of the state.
The nine electoral officers were said to be on their way to carry out the exercise when they were abducted at Jattu in Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.
Addressing journalists in Benin on the successful conduct of the ward delegates Congress ahead of the party’s primaries in the state, Aziegbemi said the exercise was peaceful and credible except for the abduction of the electoral officers.
“The exercise was peaceful, fair, and credible. We had only one incident. That is why the panel led by His Excellence, the governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, decided to cancel Etsako Central.
“So, we are not going to have results from Etsako Central. And why is that so? The vehicle conveying the electoral officers was kidnapped somewhere in Jattu yesterday morning.
“The Commissioner of Police was immediately called upon to get to the bottom of this. The DPO, and the vigilante around that area were tagged on the issue.
“Unfortunately, as of the time we were closing the Congress (Sunday), we could not lay hands on the electoral officers.
“I am sure that the panel in their wisdom decided that leaving out Etsako Central will not have any substantial effect on the overall results in the area of the governorship primaries that will take place on February 22.
“We were expecting that Etsako Central was supposed to give us 31 delegates, and overall, we are expecting 594 delegates to vote on February 22.
“So, if you take that ratio 31 to 594, you will agree with the panel that, perhaps, that is the best decision they have taken.”
Responding to a question if the election will fuel insecurity in the state, Aziegbemi said no, disclosing that the security agencies in the state had been on top of their games all this while.
“I don’t think that the security situation will increase in the state because of the forthcoming election, I don’t think so. You guys need to give kudos to the security agencies. Yesterday, the security network was robust.
“We visited some centres in Oredo. The number of security I saw in those centres, we activated the Edo Security Network, we activated the police, the DSS were in mufti, I saw most of them because I know them. It was robust.
“Only that one incident, nobody ever promised that he will have a 100 percent success in some of these things but this is unfortunate. We regret it, we are sad about it, and we expect that those people will be released on time,” Aziegbemi said.
He admonished the nine aggrieved governorship aspirants who boycotted the ward delegates Congress to be mindful of what they say to the press noting that their utterances have the potential of battering the image of the party, just as he urged them to channel their grievances to the committee set up by the party and headed by Seriaki Dickson, former governor of Bayelsa state.
Besides, the PDP Chairman said there is still ground for reconciliation in the party because it is the desire of the PDP to retain the seat of power in the state.