From Tony Osauzo, Benin

The representatives of the European Union (EU) and the British Council, have urged stakeholders in the rescheduled Edo State gubernatorial election to embrace peace.
Mr. Ben James, Political Counsel at the British High Commission and Mr Richard Young, Deputy Head of Delegation, EU, made the appeal yesterday during a courtesy visit on the governorship candidate of the APC, Dr. Godwin Obaseki, where they also called for increase in communication between the political actors, security agencies and the INEC.
According to James, “Our concern is that the elections on the 28th of September are held peacefully, conclusive and credible and that all the institutions, the parties, INEC, the police and other security agencies do everything they can to make sure the people of Edo can decide who the next governor would be.
“We members of the international community are very keen and sure that the 28th of September should be peaceful, free and fair and be supported.
“I think the important thing is that the institutions prepare themselves for the new date and tensions are coming down. There are some tensions we have seen them ourselves”, he said.
In his speech, Mr. Young noted that “it is important that the people respect leadership and the leadership preaches peace. Peace is very important that people realise that we build up to 28th, with peace in mind, and the election is held in a peaceful environment.
“We came here to discuss the postponement of the governorship election and to make a number of appeals for the increase contact with the political parties and INEC and the police and the security agencies. They should ensure that a careful ground is laid for the election to take place smoothly and calmly in a democratic and credible atmosphere on Wednesday 28th of September.
“The need to have a sense that good communication between all those different actors, political parties, INEC, Police and security services is paramount, to ensure that the election takes place smoothly and calmly in a peaceful manner on September 28.”
Responding, the APC governorship hopeful, Mr. Obaseki noted that “for them and me (EU and British Council), we are on the same page that whatever is required to have a peaceful election is what we ensure and insist on.”
He added that the postponement of the poll was certainly not convenient, as they have spent so much of time and money to prepare for it.
“It is not convenient, but that is where we have found ourselves. We are okay with it if that is going to protect lives and properties. We have to live with that no matter the inconvenience,” he said.

PDP known for election rigging- Oshiomhole
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is accustomed to rigging and can’t boast of a transparent election in other states in the South-South geo-political zone.
He said Edo is the only state that has been able to dismantle the PDP rigging machine and will do so again on the rescheduled date for the state’s gubernatorial election.
He stated this while receiving a team of European observers led by Ben Llewellyn-Jones, of the British High Commission, Abuja, at the Government House, Benin City, yesterday.
“We do appreciate the interest of what I might call friends of Nigeria, those who help us to continually and continuously remember that although there are different nation states, but the world has increasingly become one small village such that events in any part can affect the whole. So, we do not underestimate the import of this election even as it is limited to Edo State.
“Edo State as we speak is the only State that can boast of a record of transparent elections since I came on board in 2007. Since I came, my campaign slogan was, we must dismantle the rigging machine.
“Having been a union member all my life, I couldn’t condone the situation where people are imposed at various levels, and our people gave up on democracy in this state, just like the rest of the South-South.”
He continued, “I am sure you have witnessed elections there and you can write volumes. They vote with bullets, not with ballots. Terror, not persuasion is the name of the game in the rest of the South-South. But since I came in, we have fought the forces behind rigging. We emboldened the people to challenge authorities, which is what I have done when I was in labour. And even as they still rigged me out and I fought them through the legal process, painstakingly established how I was rigged out I got my mandate restored. It never happened before, and nobody appreciates the essence of free and fair election more than myself.
“The confusion yesterday, nobody is as troubled as me, first because we are fighting a people who have a lot of money and we simply don’t have such money and we made our preparations. Even as a sitting Governor, I have combed  every village; we have 192 political wards across 18 local government areas  in three Senatorial districts. I have gone round all 192 wards.
“For us, it has been a celebration of democracy, across the 192 wards. In the course of our campaigns we were able to show what we have done in each of those 192 wards. Some of our achievements  including standard roads, very beautiful schools, such that in a typical rural village the most beautiful building will be the school, such that the rate of out-of-school population in this state is the lowest in the South-South geopolitical zone. We are able to show where we have provided water and those basic things that are of concern to our people. So for us, the election was easy. The campaign message was easy and our messenger is credible. He doesn’t have any baggage.
“Happily for us, our opponent was also in government for ten years before I came in. In this city, they can’t even tell you one thing that they did. If you find any dual-carriageway in this city, it was done by me, if you find any 6-lane road, and they are all over the place now, they were done by this government; if  you see any road with sidewalks they were done by this government. So we introduced a standard for our people, roads with walkways, six lanes, dual-carriageways with street lights. Even one traffic light, there was none before this government.
“So, our people are able to look at the records and see what they didn’t do for ten years and look at my own records for seven years and about nine months now and form an opinion. Even our hospital s are enough.
“So we had a peaceful campaign and crowned it with a grand finale on Tuesday. All of a sudden, this development leading to cancellation came.
“I am much more determined than anybody that having been here for eight years, I have a duty to sustain the tradition.
According to Oshiomhole, “For us, it has been a celebration of democracy. I do hope the security agencies will do everything possible and that INEC in making the decision carries stakeholders along. Again now, they have fixed a date. I heard two versions on television.
“You would expect that if INEC is in this territory holding a meeting that will involve the people of this state, and that courtesy demands that they should consult. Yes, they have prerogative but whoever has prerogative should exercise it with wisdom, and in democracy, no one is too good to have such power to impose without consulting with those you are fixing the date for.
“So, if you meet INEC, encourage them to consult more before taking decisions, rather than they making the decision and trying to transplant it through the throat of people, and then you run into controversies that are completely avoidable and regrettable. I do welcome you and appreciate you for the election”‎,Oshiomhole urged.
Earlier, the leader of the team, Mr Ben Llewellyn-Jones said, “We have come to observe the election, but we are disappointed at the end of the day that it did not hold.
“Like you, we are disappointed. We have come to discuss with you the reports of the election holding on the 28th September, and the reports of the police and the security service, the reports of political parties supporters, the reports of INEC. The political parties are doing their shift to ensure we have a conclusive and credible election, and the election observers are interested in the process.”
He said, “A new date has been set for Wednesday the 28th, and it is very important that you and your colleagues work carefully, the security services work carefully, the police work carefully, and INEC work carefully to ensure the election takes place. We have very much enjoyed our visit to Benin City and we look forward to coming back during the election.”

IGP reads riot act, urges policemen to be neutral
The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, yesterday admonished policemen and other security oficials to be posted on election duties to be neutral so as to ensure that the electorate, party agents and INEC officials believe in their neutrality.
Addressing policemen in Benin, Idris said the Edo State governorship election is a big challenge to security agencies being the first major election to be conducted since his appointment.
He therefore, urged the police officers and other security agencies not to relax until election results are announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Idris vowed to deal with any police officer that support political parties during the conduct of the election.
On the Boko haram threat, the police chief directed effective policing of prayer grounds and areas where people assemble to avoid embarrassment from ‘bad people’.
He urged all Divisional Police Officers to visit all polling units within their division and not read about them in the newspapers.
The IG warned the security personnel not to collect money for the election duties as accordion to him, the Federal Government has released money for payment of security officials. :Remain neutral so as to ensure that the electorates, party agents and INEC officials believe in our neutrality
“Don’t accept money from anybody. The FG has paid us. We are going to pay you before the election day but make sure you are available for election duties. Severe sanctions await those who abandon their duties.
“Don’t go to areas that are not your responsibilities. You are to provide security but ‑not support any political party. Arrest those that violate electoral laws. We have to be serious to make sure the election is conducted peacefully.
He also warned the security personnel against accompanying politicians to polling units.