Edo APC Tackles Obaseki for Alleged Coercing Civil Servants to Attend PDP Presidential Rally

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Col. David Imuse (Rtd) has condemned alleged moves by Governor Godwin Obaseki to force state civil servants to attend the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential campaign rally scheduled for Saturday, 22 October 2022, in Benin City.

Imuse who expressed dismay over the alleged move, said it was worrisome that the governor would be seeking to shore up his dwindling political fortunes by seeking to drag Edo civil servants into politics.

But in reaction, the Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media Projects, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the, “only proof of life of the comatose APC in Edo State is to issue spineless press statements, spewing falsehoods against the PDP-led Edo State government

The Edo APC Chairman in a statement in Benin City, signed by the Assistant State Publicity Secretary of the party, Victor Ofure Osehobo, warned Obaseki against declaring Friday, which is a working day, a work-free day to enable civil servants join the PDP presidential rally slated for Saturday, noting that such move was not only illegal, hollow and fraudulent event, but negates the public service rules.

According to the Edo APC chairman, the plot by Obaseki to hide under the Supreme Court judgment in the case of INEC vs Musa does not hold water because it did not in any way set aside or nullify rules 030422 and 030423 of the Public Service Rules.

“The extant rules bans civil servants, whether on duty or leave of absence from offering himself/herself or nominating anyone else as a candidate for any elective public office, indicate publicly his/her support of or opposition to any party, candidate or policy and engage in canvassing in support of political candidates,” he added.

Imuse, while advising Edo civil servants declared: “Accordingly, in the overall best interest of neutrality, harmony, integrity and development of Edo Civil Service, all civil servants are strongly advised to reject and resist every attempt to drag them into partisan politics and endeavor to completely insulate themselves.”

However, reacting, Osagie, who is Obaseki’s aide, said the state APC has an ineffective way of lying to play opposition politics.

In a statement, he said “To claim that the state government purportedly declared Friday, October 21, 2022, a work-free-day for a rally that is scheduled to hold on Saturday, October 22, 2022, is the height of foolery and clearly amounts to taking absurdity to an extreme level.

“The PDP, according to its presidential campaign timetable, is billed to hold the state rally in Benin City, on Saturday, October 22, 2022.”

He added: “At no point did the state government declare a work-free-day for the rally, which is absolutely unnecessary, to say the least, as even little children are aware that Saturday is not a working day in Nigeria.

“The leaders and stakeholders in Edo APC have continued to tell unintelligent lies, making a mess of their assignment as the opposition party in the state because they have shamelessly become accustomed to telling blatant lies.

“What is most unfortunate about their situation is that their sporadic grandstanding in obscure online newspapers is half-hearted because they know that the APC does not have any votes in Edo State.

“But since the electioneering cycle has commenced and for them it is opportunity to do brisk business, they are trying to hoodwink their presidential candidate, popularly known as Emilokan, who is awash with Lagos cash, in order to get some money from him.”

According to him: “Even though their invectives do not really deserve a response because it is clearly false, it is necessary to set the records straight and constantly respond to their obvious lies.

“Edo people, however, are aware of the antics of the APC and have rightly placed them in the dustbin of history with the defeat of the party at the 2020 governorship election, a feat that is sure to be repeated in the 2023 general elections.”