State Assembly Election: Ihonvbere condemns violence in Owan West

Prof (Hon) Julius Ihonvbere

By Editor

March 21, 2024

Professor Julius Ihonvbere, member representing Owan Federal Constituency at the National Assembly has condemned the violence that characterised the last Saturday House of Assembly election in some part of Edo State.

Ihonvbere, who was reelected for a second term, gave the condemnation via a statement issued made available to newsmen in Benin by his Senior Aide on Media and Public Affairs, Joshua Iraoya.

The federal lawmaker made specific reference to Owan West Local Government, where he alleged that violence engulfed Sobe community.

DailyMonitorngr recalls that a former Governor of the State, Adams Oshiomhole had during the election, decried the attack and destruction of voting materials in 10 units out of the 17 units in Sobe community.

This place, Oshiomole, said were where huge votes were recorded in favour of APC.

Ihonvbere corroborated that most of the polling units that are APC's strong-holds were invaded by suspected PDP thugs.

The reps' member, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Basic Education and Services, described the elections not only a sham, but desperation taken to the extreme by those that seek to represent the people.

He alleged that the suspected thugs randomly fired shots and threatened women with cutlasses and sticks, thereby scaring away the harmless voters before carting away ballot boxes and other electoral materials.

He noted that the violence denied several persons the right to freely choose their representatives.

The lawmaker, however, noted that those who elected through such demonic and devious processes have enormous moral burden hanging on their necks because they do not command the respect and confidence of the people they were elected to represent.

Ihonvbere called on the Owan West people to remain calm just as he assured that issues arising from the elections are being looked into holistically by the APC leadership.

Those who emerged through such demonic and devious processes,he said, had enormous moral burden hanging on their necks because they did not command the respect and confidence of the people they had "elected" to represent.

He, nonetheless, congratulated the party's candidates that emerged victorious at the election .

"The victory of the APC members-elect though tortuous, but deservedly came about as a result of their resilience, tenacity, strong will to survive and courage in the face of extreme adversity occasioned by the very unfriendly and hostile environment introduced into the politics of Edo State.

"The elected APC members have so many reasons to celebrate because their emergence and victory at the polls is a true reflection of the will of the people they seek to represent at the State legislature", he said.

At the election, the electoral officer declared Hon Blessing Agbebaku of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the election having scored 9,839 votes to defeat his closest rival, Hon Michael Ohio Ezomo of the All Progressives Congress (APC)  who polled 7,565 votes.