Deception Leads the Race in Edo Guber Election

As the governorship election in Edo State approaches, the Peoples Democratic Party has accused the opposition All Progressives Congress of deploying falsehood and propaganda to gain undue advantage over its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, writes Wale Igbintade

With the September 21 governorship election in Edo State just around the corner, political parties, their leaders and candidates have stepped up campaigns across the length and breadth of the state to seek the support of voters for their candidates. In the process, lies and propaganda have become widespread tools in their efforts.

It is against this backdrop that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Asue Ighodalo Campaign Organisation recently accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its leaders of pushing out falsehoods to gain undue advantage in the election.

A former governor of the state, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who recently appeared on ARISE NEWS Channel’s The Morning Show, criticised Ighodalo, declaring him unelectable following allegations of constitutional violations and fraud.

Oshiomhole criticized Ighodalo as a “double-breasted consultant” unfamiliar with local issues, stating that he cannot support someone he considers a stranger and cannot speak his mother tongue.

He said: “Asue Ighodalo is not electable. Right now, he fraudulently, according to the Federal High Court, manipulated and disobeyed the constitution. As we speak, he is not even a candidate. Nigerians don’t want a double-breasted consultant, transaction expert with one hand in their pocket.”

Oshiomhole, also a former National Chairman of the APC, described Ighodalo as unfit to govern the state, having been disqualified by the Court of Appeal.

Reacting to his outburst, the Director of Strategy, Asue Ighodalo Campaign Organisation, Ose Anenih, accused the former governor of shamelessly going to television stations to sell the candidate of his party, Senator Monday Okpebholo whom he described as a bad product.

He argued that instead of addressing the issues affecting Edo people, such as insecurity and hunger caused by policies from the APC-led federal government, Oshiomhole continues to focus on Ighodalo being a stranger who doesn’t speak the local language.

Anenih also accused Oshiomhole of backing a candidate with no pedigree. He stated that Oshiomhole knows too well that he does not believe that Okpebholo is competent to lead the state, explaining that that was why he supported Hon Idahosa during the APC governorship primary.

According to him, if not for President Bola Tinubu, who ordered a fresh primary election, Okpebholo would not have been on the ticket.

He added that if Ighodalo was unelectable and not in touch with his people, why did he appoint him as a member his economic team when he was governor from 2008 to 2016?

“Oshiomohole is a confused man. He did not initially support Okpebholo. It was Idahosa he supported in the first kangaroo primary election they held until President Tinubu ordered them to organise a fresh election, which was an embarrassment to him.

“Politicians like Oshiomhole should not be taken seriously. He tells lies freely. If he claims that Ighodalo is unelectable and not in touch with his people, why did he appoint him as a member his economic team when he was governor?

“I think comrade has transitioned from a comrade to a champagne socialist and has lost touch with the Nigerian people. That’s why, for instance, when he was talking about the protest, he would say, he doesn’t know Deji Adeyanju. So, I don’t think he’s speaking the truth. He came to push lies and propaganda. 

“With all due respect, I think he did even worse. He came pushing an ethnic agenda. I was truly disappointed that instead of speaking to the issue that affects Edo people, their insecurity, and their hunger caused by policies being pushed by the government he represents, he keeps talking about Asue being a stranger who doesn’t speak the language.

“It was an eyesore to see Oshiomhole lying shamelessly on national television in a futile effort to sell the candidate of the APC in the September 21 governorship election.

“From his body language during the live programme and with his incoherence, it is obvious that the APC are at their wit’s end because they decided on fielding a candidate that can barely express himself in public and articulate his policy programmes to Edo people.

“What became apparent in the course of the interview is the fact that the APC has placed propaganda and fake lies at the heart of their campaign, with Oshiomhole making reference to a fake court judgment in defending the APC candidate.

“The APC and its chieftains have continued to peddle falsehoods, including but not limited to even fabrication of doctored Court of Appeal judgments in social media. This level of criminality shows their desperation to ‘capture’ Edo State by all means and return the state to darkness. Their frantic attempts should be rejected by all,” he explained.

Anenih stated further that Oshiomhole’s attacks on Ighodalo were unfounded and infantile, and do not speak to substance but only emotive given that the APC has no policy or agenda for Edo people. 

“It is for this reason that the people must reject the APC come September 21, as they have nothing to offer Edo people other than suffering and gnashing of teeth. So, when the people troop out on September 21, they are going to reject the APC and their baggage of adversity and hardship and reward the PDP for its unwavering commitment to the growth and progress of Edo State,” he added.

Anenih faulted Oshiomhole for saying that Ighodalo had been disqualified by the Court of Appeal, wondering if he would come on air to lie against the judiciary. He added that there was no court verdict disqualifying the PDP governorship candidate from contesting the September 21 governorship election.

Highlighting a series of court cases and judicial pronouncements that ultimately resulted in the nomination of Asue as PDP flag bearer, Anenih said these include, Philip Shaibu vs Ighodalo, where Justice James Omotosho, held that Shaibu did not have the legal standing to challenge the outcome of the primary because he did not fully participate in the exercise, neither was he present at the venue on the day it took place.

“Also, in the case of Anselm Ojezua vs Ighodalo, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in his judgment delivered on June 27, 2024, struck out the suit brought before him by the aggrieved PDP governorship aspirant.

“The court held that the suit, which was filed on March 6, was premature, stressing that the plaintiff failed to explore the internal dispute resolution mechanism of the party before instituting the action.

“Also, on July 4, 2024, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo, entered a judgment in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/165 of 2024 (Hon. Kelvin Mohammed & 2 ORS Vs INEC & 3 Ors), which was filed by some aggrieved persons who claimed that they were authentic delegates wrongly excluded from participating in the election of the PDP flag bearer for the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in Edo State,” he said.

He also recalled that the judgment of Justice A. M Lamido-led three-man panel of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja dismissed the case brought before it by the reinstated Edo Deputy Governor, Shaibu, thereby upholding the ruling of the trial court, which affirmed Ighodalo as the valid candidate.

The Federal High Court had ruled that the appellant did not satisfy the condition precedent (internal dispute resolution mechanism) before instituting the action and, therefore, declared that the suit was premature.

Upholding the judgment of the trial court, the panel held that the suit was premature, noting that the position of the lower court was unassailable.

The court, therefore, awarded a cost of N1,000,000 against Shaibu in favour of Ighodalo, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and two others.

According to Anenih, “After fruitlessly pursuing these cases, the APC has resorted to disruption of the political space in order to use chaos and violence as a strategy to forcefully take over government in Edo State.

“Their strategy will not work as the people are seeing through their lies and subterfuge. Come September 21, the people will prove to APC and their minions that it is good work that sells a candidate not intimidate, federal might or violence,” he added.