Politics
Edo 2024: Police, INEC Plot Fake Results Amid Military Interference
In Benin City, Edo State, the police are allegedly planning to collaborate with compromised officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to manipulate the upcoming election results.
Despite a recent disruption by military forces, the police remain determined to complete their mission.
According to reports, the police intend to protect compromised INEC officials from falsifying election results and announce them prematurely, regardless of the ongoing voting process.
During an emergency meeting held in Benin, it was revealed that some law enforcement officers had suffered a setback the previous day when military personnel intervened.
This disruption occurred as the police reportedly attempted to protect thugs involved in stealing election materials.
The incident, which took place in Oredo Local Government Area—one of the largest LGAs in Edo State, with almost 400,000 registered voters—saw hoodlums attacking the local INEC office in a bid to compromise election materials.
However, military forces responded quickly, apprehending some of the armed assailants and restoring order.
A similar scenario was also reported in Etsako West Local Government Area, according to an interview with an INEC national commissioner on Channels Television.
The commissioner disclosed that thugs had also tried to infiltrate INEC operations in the region.
In light of these developments, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Benneth Igweh, who is overseeing election duties in Edo State, convened a critical meeting with police officers in Benin.
AIG Igweh, who also serves as the AIG in charge of Zone 7, was reportedly clear about the mission at hand, stating that their objective must be achieved.
He addressed his men with a strong directive, asking those unwilling to participate in the mission to step aside.
The agenda of the meeting was reportedly focused on organizing cover for thugs who are expected to disrupt collation centres, allowing for the replacement of authentic election results with fabricated ones.
The ultimate plan, as revealed, is to announce fraudulent results in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC), even if the election process remains incomplete.
It is believed that after the announcement, aggrieved parties will be directed to seek legal recourse in court.
The alleged plot also involves collaboration with other security operatives who have been brought in to assist with the election process, raising concerns about the integrity of the forthcoming elections in Edo State.
Despite the challenges posed by military interventions, the police, under AIG Igweh’s leadership, appear resolute in their intent to see the plan through, sparking fears of a compromised election outcome.
The Coalition of Political Parties has slammed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claiming many of its leaders are secretly backing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
This was said in a statement by Salihu Lukman, a former APC National Vice Chairman (North-West), as he reacted to the PDP Governors’ Forum’s opposition to forming a broad alliance of opposition parties and stakeholders.
According to Lukman, the proposed coalition isn’t just a strategy to challenge APC and President Bola Tinubu. He believes it’s a necessary step to save Nigeria’s democracy, which he says is hanging by a thread.
He argued that the credibility of political institutions, especially parties, can only be revived through genuine competition—something he says is currently missing.
Lukman pointed to the PDP as an example of democracy’s decline, reminding Nigerians that the same party which once boasted of ruling for 60 years is now struggling to stay relevant.
He said Nigerians who truly want to defend democracy must stop holding on to parties like the PDP, accusing its leaders of being more loyal to Tinubu’s government than to their own platform.
“There’s no point putting time and resources into a party whose top figures either serve in the APC government or work silently in its favour,” he said.
He also questioned the PDP’s leadership, describing their actions as self-sabotaging and damaging to the party’s future.
Lukman stressed that the goal of the coalition is not just about winning elections, but about rebuilding the foundation of Nigeria’s democratic system.
A coalition opposing President Bola Tinubu, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has criticized PDP governors for undermining efforts to build a united front against the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
Their reaction follows the PDP Governors’ Forum meeting on Monday, April 14, where the governors rejected the idea of forming a larger opposition alliance with other parties and politicians.
In a statement from coalition spokesperson Salihu Moh Lukman, he said the coalition is not just a strategy to unseat Tinubu and the APC, but a necessary move to protect Nigeria’s democracy from collapse.
He accused the PDP of wasting over a decade in opposition without rebuilding itself into a credible alternative. “Rather than stepping up, the party remained inactive while Tinubu’s APC took over completely,” he said.
Lukman argued that the PDP’s current state is beyond saving, and its governors are simply pretending to offer leadership while knowing they’ve lost the people’s trust. According to him, Nigerians no longer see the PDP as a true alternative because its structure and leadership have already been taken over by the ruling party.
He pointed fingers at Minister Nyesom Wike, calling him Tinubu’s key player within the PDP. He claimed Wike’s role isn’t about his performance in the FCT but about keeping the PDP too weak to challenge Tinubu in the next election.
Lukman also alleged that the real plan now is to revive the PDP just enough to serve as a spoiler in 2027, dividing the opposition vote to favor the APC. He accused the governors of helping this plan, whether they know it or not, while pretending to stand for democracy.
Bode George, the former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has made it clear that the party will not allow former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to run for the presidency again in 2027. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, George expressed regret over the PDP’s decision to back Atiku in the 2023 election, calling it a “self-inflicted mistake.”
Meanwhile, he criticized the party for granting Atiku a waiver to run in 2023, especially after the presidency had been held by a northerner, Muhammadu Buhari, for eight years. Additionally , George argued that this decision went against the PDP’s founding zoning principles, which he believes should rotate the presidential ticket to the South.
Warning that allowing Atiku to contest again in 2027 could result in the party’s collapse, George stressed the importance of adhering to the zoning arrangement to maintain fairness and unity within the party.
Also, George praised the PDP governors for rejecting proposals for coalition or merger talks, stressing that the PDP, as a major political force, should not merge with parties lacking structure. He called on smaller parties and individuals to join the PDP, which he believes is on a path to recovery and regaining its national relevance.
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