Benin Monarch’s Peace Deal Threatened as APC, PDP Renew Accusations of Violence

•Okunbo tips Ize-Iyamu to win, says Obaseki not on ground

By Adibe Emenyonu

The peace deal brokered by the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, between the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, and his counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the state Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, is under threat as the two political parties have renewed their accusations over violence.

The monarch had last week secured a commitment from Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu to stop creating political tension in the state by emulating the example set by former President Goodluck Jonathan and his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2015.
However, the peace deal snapped at the weekend with the APC accusing the PDP of attacking its youth leaders pasting campaign posters.

But the PDP has denied the allegation and urged the police to investigate all reported cases of violence as well as to prosecute offenders.

Obaseki’s media aide, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, also denied the allegation of renewed violence in the state and accused the APC of desperation to create a sense of violence in the state to achieve some predetermined objectives.

The APC said despite the royal intervention, which had cooled the state’s political temperature, the party’s youth leaders in Ewu, Esan Central LGA of the state, were attacked by suspected agents of the state government.

APC added that the attack has underscored the fact that the PDP was not ready to abide by the peace deal by the monarch.

It said it was not involved in violence because it knew that violence had no place in civilised electioneering of selling programmes and ideas, adding that a popular party and candidate have no cause to resort to violence.

The Chairman of the APC Media Campaign Council, Mr. John Mayaki, in a statement, accused the wife of the deputy governor, Mrs. Mary-Ann Shaibu, of threatening in a video that has gone viral to flog any woman caught associating with a group suspected to be an affiliate of the APC.

He stated that the threat violated the rights of Edo people’s freedom to associate with anyone within the ambits of the law and the recent peace deal by the Oba of Benin.

He said: “The sense of urgency and desperation in the tone of Mrs. Shaibu, who has been making frantic but futile moves to boost the chances of the temporary ruling party, PDP, in Edo North, through a series of meetings with women at different parts of the region, is no doubt as a result of the chill wind reaching her.

“Although women openly support her to enjoy what pleasures they could, she had realised they secretly intended to vote for APC.”

Mayaki who criticised the deputy governor’s wife’s “imprudent choice of words,” said: “I am not surprised that she is threatening violence. We know that her husband arms thugs. Her imprudent choice of words, though regrettable, is simply a manifestation of what they bring to the table in Edo State. Every step of the campaign, they have brutalised us and unleashed weapons of warfare. But they are making martyrs of us. All we want is good governance in Edo State and now she is threatening to whip us.”

However, the National Vice Chairman of APC’s Campaign Council, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, stated that Edo people should be proud that in Oba Ewuare II, the state has a wise, polished, accomplished, visionary leader, who can counsel his subjects and earn the respect of all.

Obahiagbon noted that from the monarch’s interaction, it was clear where the violence was coming from, adding that he hopes the other side would take the monarch’s wise counsel seriously.

“We have said it before and we are saying it again: we condemn any iota of violence on the campaign stump. We, the Edo APC, absolutely don’t need it. Our candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, is popular,” he stated.

However, in a swift reaction to the allegations that the agents of the state government are threatening the peace deal by the monarch, Osagie said the state had remained peaceful since the monarch’s intervention.

He said: “The truth is that there is no violence and it is not true that the agents of the state attacked anybody. But the APC knows that there is no voter that will come out to vote for it. So, they are orchestrating allegation of violence; they want to create a sense of violence and insecurity to cause a scare and achieve any of their three objectives: One is to get the election postponed; two is to get a state of emergency declared in the state, and three is to create voter’s apathy.

“There is no violence anywhere and even in cases, they wanted to attack us, we ran away because we are waiting for victory in the election.”

The PDP also denied encouraging or taking part in any violence and encouraged the police to investigate all reported cases of shooting and willful damage and prosecute offenders.

The Publicity Secretary of the party in Edo State, Mr. Chris Nehikhare, in a statement given to THISDAY, said the party would continue to seek justice.

He expressed delight that PDP members and property have not been attacked, shot at or vandalised since the intervention of the monarch.

He said: “Our party had not been involved or be an instigator of any of the violence that led His Majesty to call for the peace meeting. We have been the victims of the violence and this we have chronicled and have published.

“We are cautious to report that our members and their property have not been attacked, shot at, or vandalised since the intervention of His Royal Majesty.

“However, we will continue to seek justice and encourage the police to investigate all reported cases of shooting and willful damage as well as prosecute offenders so that nobody should go with the impression that an amnesty was granted for such a serious breach of the law.”

Okunbo Tips Ize-Iyamu to Win, Says Obaseki Not on Ground

Meanwhile, prominent businessman, Captain Hosa Okunbo, has tipped the Ize-Iyamu, to win the Edo State governorship election scheduled for September 19, 2020, saying the incumbent, Obaseki, has failed to deliver on his 2016 electioneering promises.

“If the election is free and fair, Pastor Ize-Iyamu, will win with a landslide margin,” he told journalists in Abuja at the weekend, explaining that information at his disposal shows that Obaseki is not on the ground in the state.

Okunbo, an erstwhile supporter of Obaseki, said he fell out with the governor when it became obvious that he had abandoned all the promises he made to the people in 2016.

“Godwin (Obaseki) did not implement the programmes he promised. Most of the projects he talked about are not on the ground,” he said, adding: “he is selling propaganda.”
He said although he still considered the governor as a brother, he had withdrawn his support because he had failed to demonstrate leadership.

According to him, “Obaseki is not a leader, and he lacks the temperament to lead people. He is deceitful.”

Okunbo pointed at Obaseki’s quarrel with his predecessor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, and 17 members of the House of Assembly as the evidence of his leadership failure.

“A governor who could not manage 24 members of his assembly from the same party has failed,” he said, pointing out that even the president had to reach out through the party to establish a cordial relationship with the National Assembly so that his government could run smoothly.

He said he had pitched his tent with the APC governorship candidate.

“I am supporting Osagie (Ize-Iyamu). He has met with me and shown me his vision for farming, which I share. He has shown me his agenda for the future of the state. What caught my fancy in his agenda is his plan for farming because it would create an opportunity for the people and the youths to be engaged,” he said.

Okunbo advised the people to vote wisely in the forthcoming election, admonishing them to ignore financial inducement and listen to their conscience.

He said: “Our people should look and see if their lives have become better in the last four years, and whether Obaseki had done well. If they are happy with him, let them vote for him. If he wins, then we will know that it is the will of the people. But we know that evil cannot surpass good.”

The businessman said, however, that he did not believe that the governor has the capacity to move the state forward.
“His government is a government of deceit,” Okunbo said.