Tension in Edo as “intimidating” soldiers arrive ahead of guber polls

Right now, tension is rising in Edo State as first batch of 35,000 men of security forces have arrived ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

They included soldiers, police officers, men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

A lot of people are already asking questions. In 2015 Federal High Court ruling barred soldiers’ involvement in elections.

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And in an election that the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party is likely to win, the presence of soldiers is particularly troubling.

17 governorship candidates are vying to succeed Governor Godwin Obaseki. Obaseki won under the All Progressives Congress in 2016 but was denied APC ticket in his reelection bid in 2020.

Obaseki defected to the Peoples’ Democratic Party and won so APC lost control in Edo.

With the APC administration hitting Nigerian citizens nationwide since 2023, the party obviously know it has lost voters’ confidence and would most likely lost in Edo.

And in Nigeria it is not unusual for the ruling party to use “federal might” to take power from the electorate.

But Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, has tried to assuage the rising concern.

“The military presence is good to discourage those who are may want to cause trouble on before the election. I have seen the soldiers in several areas in town and their presence will be good for the smooth conduct of the election,” Onigbanjo said.

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