Edo PDP Kicks Over Deployment Of Wike’s Cousin, Associate As INEC REC, CP

By Philip Tayo 

The Edo State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party’s Chairman, Mr Anthony Aziegbemi has kicked over the deployment of the FCT’s Minister, Nyesom Wike’s Cousin and Associate as the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner and the Commissioner of Police respectively. 

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Aziegbemi alerted the INEC leadership and the Police Authorities over the appointments of the Ex-Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike’s Cousin and Associate as men in charge of the electoral body and the leading security agency on Thursday. 

The Edo State PDP Chairman, Anthony Aziegbemi described Onuoha as a former Special Adviser on Lands to the Ex-Rivers State Governor Wike. 

The PDP also rejected the appointment of the Edo Commissioner of Police, CP Nemi Edwin-Iwo, whom the party said is a staunch associate of Wike. He was redeployed to the State a month ago.  

Raising the alarm in a statement on Tuesday in the state, the Chairman of the PDP in Edo State, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, said the party is raising dust over the involvement of Wike’s associates in the election because of the well-documented disagreement between the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and the FCT Minister, Wike. 

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He said the PDP sees the involvement of the officials as a recipe for disaster as they share close links with the Minister and are willing to do his bidding before, during, and after the elections. 

Aziegbemi said, “We are worried that the election may have been compromised even before it starts. This is because we are certain that the officials responsible for conducting a free, fair, and credible election are close associates of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.   

“Everyone in Nigeria knows the antecedents of Wike and his conduct during elections in Rivers State. So, we will not close our eyes and watch him deploy the same tactic in Edo State. 

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“The current Edo State Commissioner of Police, Nemi Edwin-Iwo, is also a close associate of Wike. We believe he would not act in the best interest of the Edo people nor even in the spirit and letters of the electoral act.   

“So, it is no wonder that the Police have been acting arbitrarily in the run-up to the election. They have been after members and leaders of the PDP in the last few weeks, as a rogue team has been hounding, arresting and whisking PDP leaders away to Abuja in a Gestapo style. 

“So, for us, the precedent has been set and we will not sit and watch these men cause chaos in the State in pursuit of personal vendetta”, he ended. 

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