APC Recruiting Thugs in Kogi, Other Neighbouring States to Rig Edo Election, Says PDP

The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said its teeming members are ready to resist any attempt by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the governorship election slated for Saturday, assuring its supporters that its candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, would emerge victorious.

The PDP stated this sunday in a statement signed by the state publicity secretary, Mr. Chris Nehihkaire, while reacting to the intelligence report submitted to it that some leaders of the APC were recruiting thugs from Kogi State and other neighbouring states to rig the election.

According to the PDP, “We need to put the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), international community, election monitors and other security agencies on the alert — that the APC have recruited thugs from Kogi State, especially Okenne, and other neighbouring states for the Saturday election in Edo State.

“’Their aim is to unleash violence in many polling units and disrupt the election, having realised that the electorate have massively rejected their candidate. But they will fail woefully because our members will resist any move to rig and disrupt the election.

“We have stated repeatedly that this election cannot be rigged. We will defend our votes and mandate with the last drop of our blood. APC will fall flat in its calculation to rig this election.’’

The PDP fingered a chief security officer in Edo State Government House, who is from Kogi State, and other senior aides of Governor Adams Oshiomhole, for recruiting young non indigenes — outside Edo State, to be used to rig the forthcoming governorship election.

The PDP said Oshiomhole, his puppet candidate, Godwin Obaseki and some of his aides had resorted to this measure because they lack grassroots support back home, hence the mass recruitment that is going on now in Okenne, Kogi State and other neighbouring states.

The PDP therefore called on the leadership of the INEC and security agencies to be disconnected from the APC’s plans to rig the Saturday election.

“We call on INEC and security agencies to be mindful of the antics of desperate politicians within the APC and their planned attempt to rig the September 10 governorship election, just as we had made the clarion call for relevant authorities to note the plan by some evil people to cause violence at the election for negative objectives.”

The PDP charged APC leaders to prevail on their members to be of good conduct before, during and after the election to ensure that peace continues to reign in the state.

‘’We have said over and over again that we love peace because war is very expensive. But we are not weak; and those who plan to temper with our mandate should get ready for the worst because we are ready to defend our votes and mandate with the last drop our blood,’’ PDP added.

The PDP urged all the stakeholders, including INEC’s officials, security agencies and the 19 political parties participating in the election, to play according to the rules and the electoral laws in the interest of peace and democracy.

It said no matter the boast by the APC leaders that the coming election will be rigged in their favour, the good people of Edo had made up their minds and are ready to take their destiny in their own hands by sensibly picking the best candidate that can move the state beyond where it is now, saying that candidate is Pastor Ize-Iyamu.

The party added, “We have no cause to be worried knowing the antecedents of APC’s leaders. Their only strategy is through violence and manipulation — by intimidating people from coming out to vote in order to allow a free reign to rig the election. But their plot will fail because the people are ready to resist them this time.”
PDP advised its members and the Edo people in general to turn out en masse on Saturday and vote for Ize-Iyamu in order to free the state from the clutch of those who want to destroy it.