BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

HON. Peter Akpatason, representing Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives is a former trustee of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and as well as former President of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Workers, NUPENG.  In this interview he responds to emerging issues on the just concluded local government elections in Edo State. Excerpts:

What is your reaction to allegations by the People Democratic Party, PDP, that the Edo council elections were marred by fraud?

I do not want to speak about what the PDP are saying, but I just want to give you what I experienced. There was an election in Akoko Edo Local Government Area and my Village where I voted. I spoke with my friends in Etsako, in Owan, in Esan, in Benin and other parts of the state, and they told me the same thing. There was a large turnout of voters.  Agreed, there was a slight delay in the arrival of materials which was aptly explained by the leaders of the state as having resulted from the late arrival of the airplane that brought the materials into the country the evening before the election.

In which case, they could not get a flight to take them from Lagos to Benin and they had to go by road under the protection of Nigerian Police and other security operatives which are under the control of the Federal Government and they delivered the materials directly to Edo State Independent Electoral Commission, EDSIEC, which to me showed integrity of the materials.

Hon. Akpatason

From there, they eventually got to their destinations and were distributed accordingly. We started voting early and stopped voting on good time. Votes were counted at unit levels and thereafter taken toward headquarters, from there to the Local Government collation centre.

We did not finish collation until 2 pm. That tells you that the process was religiously and painstakingly followed at all levels. From unit to ward and from there to local government area where the results were declared by EDSIEC and confirmed before they were eventually announced. I have  not seen a local government election that is freer and fairer than what happened in Edo State.

It is just unfortunate in Nigeria, some people believe that anytime there is an election, they must protest, they must make noise whether there is basis for it or not. That is the kind of thing that is playing out in Edo State. We had a very wonderful process and I am very confident of that process and what took place, for me was quite credible.

What about the pockets of protest shown on the television?
By now you should have known that in Nigeria it is easier for professional protesters to be organised by money bags to go and make noise in public even when there is no reason for that. Those people who have been masters of manipulations, who today have been displaced in Edo State because they have disappointed the people and the people have decided to withdraw support for them, they are looking for every possible avenue to give the world the impression that whatever that is happening in Edo State today does not have their endorsement.

So, they come out to make all sort of noises and hire people to do those protest. But I want to draw the attention of the public to what is happening in Edo state today, which is, where they have five people protesting, there are 1000 people jubilating and celebrating. So, why should we pay attention to such nuisance? People should focus on what the majority and the generality of

the people are doing and saying. That is what is important. Look at the massive number of the people who voted compared to the few people that were paid to go and protest. In any case, I keep on saying that you do not beat a child and ask the child not to cry.

Unfortunately, some cry, like in my place, they call such cries, crocodile tears. That is exactly what they are doing in their own case. They are crying even when they ought not to because they are not  popular and they could not have won an election in Edo State today. So, there is no need for them to cry.

Can one say in essence that those pockets of protest are aimed at discrediting the doctrine of one man, one vote of Comrade Governor?

Obviously that is their target. They know that they cannot take it far, they know that at the end of the day, nothing will come out of it, but they just want to dent the image of the people and the resolve of the people to continue to do what is right. They know that one man, one vote is a problem to them anytime.

They are not popular and so, they want to do anything possible to smear that philosophy and doctrine of one man, one vote. That is what they are trying to do. But I am quite convinced that they will not succeed because Edo people are not even listening to these things that are being amplified by the press. Because those in the state know the truth about how many people that are making this noise.

The mass of people in Edo State are very happy with is happening in the state. There is jubilation everywhere. In Akoko Edo, people are jubilating, the government has started functioning and there are no issues.