Nigeria Army Rigged For Ruling Party (PDP) – Oshiomhole

Edo North, where Governor Adams Oshiomhole hails
from, was under 24-hour Army lockdown, Saturday,
as all the entry and exit points into the senatorial
district were sealed by soldiers till the early hours of
Sunday.

Motorists and pedestrians who were caught
unawares by the strange and unannounced military
lockdown were stopped from moving and unlucky
ones horsewhipped while others were made to face
the indignity of being frog-jumped even late into the
night of Saturday the 28th.

While the Inspector-General of Police had announced
a restriction of movement from 8:00am to 5:00pm on
election day, motorists trapped at a military
checkpoint at Agbede, the gateway into Edo North
bordering Ewu in Edo Central told reporters that the
soldiers manning the checkpoint said they have
orders to stop movement in and out of Edo North till
midnight.

On his part, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said the
army has been a huge problem as they had been
used to rig for the ruling party at the centre.

There were no fewer than twenty military checkpoints
in Edo North, there were five checkpoints at Okpella
bordering Kogi State, two checkpoints at Iyamho,
which completely sealed off the Governor's home,
five points at Auchi, another point at INEC office in
Auchi, a checkpoint at Jattu junction, another one
close to the Jattu home of Hon Philips Shaibu, the
APC House of Reps candidate, another point at
Ikabigbo, Ogbonna, Fugar, and three points at
Agenebode.

There were also military checkpoints at Aviele and
another one at Agbede, bordering Edo North and Edo
Central.

INEC officials were not spared a harrowing ordeal in
the hands of the soldiers as those taking materials to
Ward 10, Unit 1 Iyamho were around 9:00 am,
Saturday, as they were stopped by soldiers who had
laid siege to the home town of Governor Adams
Oshiomhole. The INEC officials told reporters that
were forced to sit on the ground, alongside their
police escort for several hours.

They were later allowed to leave after they got calls
from their superiors. The soldiers said they were
acting on strict orders from above.

Even journalists were not spared the soldiers' ordeal
as the INEC accreditation cards and reflective jackets
were ignored while each reporter was asked to
produce his company ID cards.