By JIMITOTA ONOYUME

PORT HARCOURT – National Chairman of the People’s Progressive Party, PPP, Chief Solomon Edebiri has said that he would contest next year’s governorship election in Edo State, and called on the federal and state governments not to use the military and the police to rig the election.

Edebiri alleged that some soldiers and policemen posted to maintain law and order during the last governorship election in the state perpetrated electoral fraud during the poll.

Speaking in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State, Chief Edebiri alleged that, the security agents were actively involved in thumb printing of ballot papers for some candidates, during the state and National Assembly elections in the state.

According to him, he was almost shot dead by a soldier during one of the elections when he demanded to know why soldiers should be involved election rigging.

Continuing, Edebiri appealed to both the state and the Federal Government to henceforth, take steps to strengthen the nation’s democracy by ensuring that law enforcement agents do not indulge in electoral fraud.

“The major problem is that the A.C.N. led government in Edo state partly controls the police while at the federal level, the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP controls the Army.

’’The officers from these two security agencies were involved in rigging at the last election in Benin City and this is not fair to Nigerians.

’’Police and the army should not be allowed to abuse the electoral process. Oshiomole should allow a level playing ground.

“The police should play a neutral role so that we will know which party is more popular and acceptable among the candidates,’’ he said.

He further urged the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Atahirru Jega to check the excesses of INEC supervisors during next year’s elections at the state level.

According to him, problems of elections were usually caused by those supervising the processes at the state levels.

“Also INEC should see that those supervising the elections for it at the state level were thoroughly monitored by Jega,’’ he added.