N11m endorsement bazaar for Edo Assembly election stirs controversy

A trending news of N11m gift allegedly approved for selected party faithful in Oredo and Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Areas in Edo State, has drawn public scrutiny among politicians, ahead of the March 18, 2023 rescheduled State house of Assembly election.

FILE: AERIAL VIEW OF EDO STATE SECRETARIAT OF PDP ON FIRST EAST CIRCULAR ROAD IN BENIN CITY.

The handout was reportedly given out by a top cabinet member in the State government after a meeting with Councils’ workers on Wednesday night, tagged an ‘endorsement bazaar from ‘public coffers, authoritative source privy to meeting told TheNewspad.com

The source said the largess was met to encourage canvassers to secure a superficial endorsement of Candidates of Peoples Democratic party (PDP) and votes for the umbrella party at the polls.

It was learn that the N11 million, which was wired electronically via a First Bank account to a top government functionary the meeting held on Wednesday in Government House, Benin City, the State Capital.

During the meeting, it was agreed that Council workers in Oredo and Ikpoba-Okha LGAs will get N6 million and N5 million share from the N11 million respectively.

It was learnt that due to inability of the guests who attended the meeting to access the money apparently due to ‘poor network’, associated with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) cashless policy debacle, has triggered disaffection among workers in the Councils.

There is no official communication yet for the unintended delay, but the concern of the Local government workers, is that if certain anomalies are not urgently fixed, history may repeat itself PDP, which was defeated by Labour party and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo North, South and part of Edo Central Senatorial Districts in February 23rd 2023 Presidential and National polls in the State.

The situation, has also unsettle the supposed beneficiaries who appear divided whether the appeal by Governor Godwin Obaseki to canvass support his party Candidates gunning for the 24-state Constituencies seats, will either be beneficiary to the people or would amount to a stillbirth.

A former acclaimed leader of contact and Mobilization Committee of the ruling party in Oredo LGA, told TheNewspad Correspondent on Friday evening that eligible voters who joined him to run a slogan, ‘4-4 (Torgba) mantra’ that sunk opposition parties during Governor Obaseki’s reelection on September 19, 2020, appear indifferent in the forthcoming polls over the manner the Governor allowed things to slide and polarised the party.

“Oredo and Ikpoba-Okha LGAs are very strategic in this coming election. Not only we lost during the Presidential and National Assembly elections, but, this next election is very important for us. We do not want opposition party (APC/LP) to have their way.

“We must work hard to defend the interest of the Benin people. Obaseki will not be disgraced out of office by the grace of God”, the PDP member who craved for anonymity said.

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