By Simon Ebegbulem
BENIN—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, yesterday, appealled to the European Union, EU, pay more attention to the preparations for the 2011 general elections and the activities of security agencies,  to ensure a free and fair polls in the country.

Oshiomhole, who spoke at Government House, Benin City, when he received the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Jean-Michel Dumond, expressed fears over the time table of the elections as passed by the National Assembly and the use of security operatives to scuttle political rallies organised by opposition political parties, adding that the signals so far, had shown that there were plans by the federal lawmakers to turn the nation to a one-party state.

The Governor, who commended the EU and the French Government for their assistance so far in ensuring good governance and democracy in Nigeria, said, “regardless of diplomatic limitations and the fact that it is at the heart of good governance, the EU should monitor  closely, every step that is being taken, whether legal step, administrative decisions, the political environment, the use of security agents and the overall environment under which the electioneering will take place.

“I want to invite you to consciously monitor and wherever we identify things that are not right, to speak out, to draw the attention of the Federal Government to those things because they have the responsibility to create the enabling environment. Free and fair elections is not some thing that occurs only on the day of voting, it has to do with the entire procedures leading to the elections. The election day is the final stage of the process.

“For example, if the police will be neutral and not use force to stop people, who want to campaign, these are issues we want monitored. Secondly, that the National Assembly does not make laws, which short circuit the process. Many of us are worried given the fact that democracy strives better when you have multiparty democracy,” he said.

But the present law which was made by the National Assembly, which interferes with the independent of INEC, because the National Assembly, dominated by the ruling party dictating to INEC the order of elections, amount to an attempt to impose a one party state” he stated.

While urging the European Union to speak out against such move, Oshiomhole asserted that “the calculations are very obvious to Nigerians that you cannot climb the tree from the top.

They renewed the law to reverse the previous arrangement by saying  election of the President and election of the National Assembly will come before the election of the state houses of Assembly and state governors, the intension is clear. It means whoever wins the Presidency, then people are expected to have a band wagon benefit and if that happens, then Nigeria is tilting to a one party state which is a very dangerous signal”.