“The State Will Burn”: Edo Gubernatorial Election Heats Up as NLC Chair Issues Strong Remarks

“The State Will Burn”: Edo Gubernatorial Election Heats Up as NLC Chair Issues Strong Remarks

  • Odion Olaye, chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Edo State, warned of unrest if the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, is not declared the winner of the September 21 gubernatorial election
  • Olaye's remarks have sparked controversy, intensifying an already tense political environment with allegations of election tampering from both the PDP and APC
  • With accusations flying and inflammatory rhetoric on the rise, there are growing concerns about potential unrest on election day

Odion Olaye, chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Edo State, has ignited controversy ahead of the upcoming gubernatorial election on September 21.

In a widely circulated video, Olaye, while campaigning for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Asue Ighodalo in Egor, Benin City, made incendiary comments suggesting unrest if Ighodalo is not declared the winner.

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Labour congress chief warns of potential violence if PDP loses Edo gubernatorial race
Labour congress chief warns of potential violence if PDP loses Edo gubernatorial race. Photo credit: X/Mediafireworks
Source: Twitter

"I want to assure you that PDP, our party, is going to win Egor 80 percent come the 21st of this month, and on the 22nd, they must declare Asue Ighodalo the winner," Olaye asserted. He went further, warning that the state "will burn" if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fails to announce Ighodalo as the victor.

The remarks have added to the already tense political atmosphere in Edo State. Allegations of potential electoral manipulation have been flying between the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Edo faces unrest threat

PDP Chairman Dr. Tony Aziegbemi accused the APC of planning to deploy fake INEC officials disguised as technical staff to interfere with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), a key component in ensuring a transparent election.

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However, Prince Kassim Afegbua, media director for the APC Campaign Council, quickly dismissed the accusations, labeling them as baseless.

With both parties trading accusations and inflammatory rhetoric entering the fray, concerns are growing over potential unrest on election day.

As tensions mount, all eyes are on the INEC to ensure a free and fair election, amid calls for restraint from political actors.

PDP accuses APC candidate

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Edo state, Senator Monday Okpebholo, is not a registered voter, hence, he is out of the race.

The PDP said this was discovered by checks in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal.

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Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Basit Jamiu avatar

Basit Jamiu (Editor) With more than 5 years of experience in the media (Ikeja Bird, Prime Progress, The Movee), Basit Jamiu works as an editor at Legit Nigeria. He started his journalism career after graduating from Ekiti State University in 2018. He is a 2024 Open Climate Fellow (West Africa), 2023 MTN Media Fellow, OCRP Fellow at ICIR, and Accountability Fellow at CJID. He can be reached via basit.jamiu@corp.legit.ng.