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The ongoing Edo election petitions tribunal sitting in Benin City, the Edo State capital, has been moved to Abuja; a correspondence signed by the tribunal’s Secretary, Mu’Azu Ibrahim Bagudu, and made public to all parties says Abuja sitting will be effective from Monday, January 27, 2025. In its opening, Bagudu said, “I am directed to notify all parties that the governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Benin City, Edo State has been relocated to Abuja at National Judicial Institute (NJI), Airport Road, Abuja.”
The relocation of the Edo Election Tribunal is a failure of the Governor of Edo State.
“Those who conspired with the Inspector General of Police to ban Edo State Security and Vigilante Network, for political reasons are now ashamed to tell Nigerians the level of worsening security crisis in Edo State.”
Whereas the reason (s) for the unexpected relocation was not explicitly stated in the release, observers have said it cannot however, be unconnected with the endless violence, threats to life and hostile disposition of thugs affiliated with the APC/Okpebholo in Edo State. Those who conspired with the Inspector General of Police to ban Edo State Security and Vigilante Network, for political reasons are now ashamed to tell Nigerians the level of worsening security crisis in Edo State. The ban has exposed that ESSN was more effective than the Nigeria Police in terms of crime control in the State. The reality is that the police are helpless in crime control in the state. During the last governorship election, they deployed federal might through the person of IGP and exposed the state to security threats and criminality by the ban imposed on Edo State vigilantes. Now the APC brilliantly engaged in election have been carelessly let loose at Edo Election Tribunal. The thugs equally moved to take over the PDP secretariat in Benin City.
Few days ago at the court premises, thugs affiliated to APC/Okpebholo were seen audaciously dishing out threats to personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and the DSS; these thugs, who are in the APC/Okpebholo-led government’s payroll were seen in similar development harassing journalists who were drafted for duty at the tribunal.
These thugs and their affiliates have since been invited by the Police, they have however flouted the invitation, as they continue to threaten stakeholders using pseudonyms, a development that has thrown up concerns within the judicial sector.
Numerous videos and correspondences of their violent displays are now making the rounds on the social media, raising concerns within the security, government and other settings, as to the safety and security of members of the tribunal, other persons.
The recent relocation of the Edo State election petition tribunal From Benin to Abuja is a stark reminder of Nigeria’s security architectural failure. This decision, allegedly made to ensure the safety of petitioners, judges, and witnesses, raises more questions than answers. The fact that hoodlums were able to disrupt the tribunal’s proceedings, forcing its relocation, is a damning indictment of Nigeria’s security apparatus.
What Nigeria’s security architecture is telling us is that it is not capable enough to secure the life of Nigerians. This is particularly galling given the presence of numerous military barracks, Nigeria police headquarters,D.S.S, and N.S.C.D.C in the state. The inability to protect a small number of individuals is a clear dereliction of duty.
The federal government’s decision to relocate the tribunal without addressing the root cause of the problem is a worrying sign of its inability to tackle insecurity. It is unacceptable that a few hoodlums can hijack a tribunal, disrupting the democratic process, without facing any consequences. This lack of accountability undermines the rule of law and erodes public trust in institutions.
The Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has continued to brazenly and audaciously violate constitutional provisions and by extension, Supreme Court judgement granting autonomy to local governments in Nigeria.For the avoidance of doubt, local governments, world over are interconnected through associations, so that constitutional breach in one region has the capacity to become a topical issue in another region.
By the foregoing, Governor Okpebholo’s audacious and brazen violation of constitutional provisions granting autonomy to local governments presents our country as a notorious and lawless entity before the international community. An attempt to annihilate local government autonomy as now witnessed in the Okpebholo-led administration requires concerted intervention, for which the Tinubu-led administration should be seen leading; President Tinubu must now speak directly to the Edo State Governor, who has seemingly waged a full scale war on local government autonomy in Edo State, lawlessly preventing elected local government Chairmen from carrying out their constitutional duties.
With the first 100 days of the Okpebholo-led government fast-approaching, observers who have beamed their torchlights on the activities of the governor since taking over last November, have shown no signs of satisfaction thus far; rather than vigorously pursuing the provision of essential services to Edo people, Okpebholo has deliberately soiled his hands in pits of lawlessness, approaching governance with a vengeful disposition, rather than working for the people.
Okpebholo must understand that election is long over, whereas the legitimacy of his government is now being challenged in court, the governor must put politics aside, and work for the people as there can be no vacuum in governance.
The illegal acting Chairmen or supervisors he has installed across the 18 local government Councils in Edo and their inability to drive development down the grassroot as a result of the illegality they carry like a badge of honour, continue to send wrong signals that Edo is a place where anything can happen without recourse to constitutional provisions.
Edo appears to be sitting on a keg of lawlessness, going by Okpebholo’s audacity to violate constitutional provisions, and brazenly disregard Supreme Court ruling, an ugly development that is fast-placing Edo and her people on a very notorious path, which are now daily reportage on the media and even on national dailies.
The implications of this relocation are far-reaching. It sends a message that Edo State is not safe, and that the government is unable or unwilling to protect its citizens. This is a clear failure of governance, and Nigerians deserve better.
In conclusion, the relocation of the Edo State election petition tribunal is a lamentable reminder of Nigeria’s security challenges and the Governor of Edo State does not understand that he is the chief security officer of Edo State.
Inwalomhe Donald writes via inwalomhe.donald@yahoo.com
