Arrest Of Edo REC: PDP, APC Unite Against Obaseki!

In an unprecedented development the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the All Progressives Congress, APC have united in condemning the arrest of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC of Edo State, Mr Johnson Alalibo which the APC alleged was orchestrated by Governor Godwin Obaseki.

GreenWhiteGreen GWG had reported on Thursday, July 28 the disappearance of Mr Alalibo. Sources disclosed on Friday that he was released from detention following contacts made by the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to the Inspector General of Police.

The arrest was traced to allegations of forgery reportedly filed by a faction of the PDP aligned to Governor Obaseki made against the REC.

The PDP in Edo State had been divided between the mainstream faction led by national vice-chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih and those aligned to Governor Obaseki. The Orbih faction had triumphed in producing all the candidates of the party for the 2023 General Election in the state and the decision as upheld by INEC has also been sustained by the courts.

However, matters went into a twist on Thursday, July 28, 2022, as it emerged that the REC, Alalibo had been arrested following a petition raised against him to the police by the faction aligned to the governor.

Responding to the development on Friday, July 29, 2022, the APC chided Governor Obaseki for allowing his bid to control the PDP structure to spread over to the freedom and liberty of the REC.

The PDP on its part through a letter authored by the state secretary, Mr Hilary Otsu also affirmed its denial of a petition supposedly written on behalf of the PDP against the REC.

The petition by a tendency allegedly inclined to the governor’s camp had prayed that Dr Alabibo be “thoroughly investigated, and the suspect charged to court,” on allegations of forgery.

While distancing the PDP State Working Committee and State Executive Committee from the petition against the REC, Otsu said:

“We wish to state that, in line with our Party Constitution 2017 (as amended) the state Chapter followed all due processes in coducnting all the Congresses from Ward, Local Government to State Level. The relevant sections of our constitution were strictly adhered to and the State Exco did not at any time or at any meeting, recommend a petition to be brought against INEC/Dr. Alalibo Sinikem.

“The petition should be dismissed and disregarded as it lacks merit. It has all the trappings of a sponsored petition emanating from political vendetta and selfish interest.”

The APC also in its own reaction articulated by its state chairman, Col. David Imuse (rtd.) described the arrest of the REC as unwarranted, shameful and illegal.

According to the APC the “arrest is not unconnected with the Governor Obaseki faction of the Edo PDP’s failure to force the Commission to do his bidding as far as the Election of PDP candidates for the 2023 general elections is concerned. Meanwhile, the REC in Edo takes orders from the INEC chairman at its Abuja headquarters and not from State governors.”

Giving a background to the incident following the triumph of the Chief Dan Orbih led faction of the PDP over the Obaseki faction at the PDP congresses and at the court, Imuse said:

“Last week, a higher court, the Court of Appeal Abuja, however, held that the issue of ad hoc delegates election of the Edo PDP remains part of the domestic affairs of the party for which the court cannot interfere under pre-election litigation.

“Rather than hearing from the National Secretariat of the PDP, Governor Obaseki chose to take the law into his own hands and in a gestapo-like style on Thursday morning, ordered the invasion of the INEC offices in the state capital to arrest the REC.

“For the APC and Edo people, this invasion of the INEC offices on Governor Obaseki’s orders is a disgrace and shows his total disregard for the rule of law and abject disdain for the principle of separation of powers, moreso as INEC is not an Edo State parastatal.

“The action is a dangerous slide into fascism by an elected state governor in an otherwise democracy. It is also very condescending and an embarrassment to all Edo people as never before in the history of our state has any governor attacked the INEC offices or the judiciary, for that matter in the manner of Mr Obaseki, posing as military administrator.

“The decent path to follow is not this gestapo-style invasion in the morning of a working week that involves the use of sledgehammers to breakdown gates and front doors for Police to gain access to the INEC offices. It is to wait  on the National Headquarters of the PDP as it affects the Court ruling and to take heed.

“The APC and Edo people are so very disappointed at Governor Obaseki’s action and advises him to retrace his steps because pretending to be a military administrator instead of a civilian governor elected by law is not only crude but undemocratic and evil. It does not befit his  office, which has since become in the subject of jokes and comedies across the State.”

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