As the battle for governorship of Edo State draw closer, an aspirants for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the race Major General Charles Ehigie Airhiavebere (Rtd) said he would not step-down for any candidate in the June 18th APC Primaries.
Airhiavebere who was in company of the only female aspirant in the race, Mrs. Tina Agbarra declared that “I will not be in the category of people that will step down. And in any case, where is the face of democracy in this country, how can we grow democracy, how can we consolidate in democracy.
He added that “I that is standing before you contested in 2012, I was in the PDP, we were nine and the delegate population was 792 and I scored 407 of the votes. The man that came behind me had 187 that is Kenneth Imasuagbon, we have all moved to the APC. At that time, I was not even encouraged even in my own home. I was told that the Comrade governors performance was unequaled and no body could challenge him but I did and I told them at that time that it is only a state where there is no horse that you say that your own is a fast runner.
Speaking on the allegation that an aspirants is buying up PVCs from he delegates that would vote in the primaries the General said “”That information is very correct. Delegates have been reporting that some members of the public have been moving around, buying PVCs for N5,000.
He continued “There are two sides to it. It is a gross abuse of human right probably because N5,000 means a lot for the delegates. So you look at the contract involved, the considerations for you to part with what is your fundamental human right. It is delicate, it is a challenge a leader has to face in the future.
“It is painful for him. In fact, one of us recently had to put it on television that our people should not sell their birth right. The media is working against it. People called me yesterday from Esan local government and said that they had to refuse and drove away the member of the party that came to pick those PVCs.
“Sincerely speaking I don’t know what they want to do with it, it could be probably for cloning, a very dangerous precedence, definitely fraudulent and will not be acceptable by those of us that are standing before you especially myself.
Speaking separately on the PVCs buying allegation, Edo State Deputy Governor and Aspirants for the APC ticket, Pious Obudu said said he cannot confirmed the allegation,because he was out of the state when he allegation was made.
According to him, “I arrived Abuja yesterday (Sunday) and I’ve heard that allegation too but I can not confirm whether it is true or not because I’m not in Edo state at the moment. In any case, if anybody does that, it’s just a wasteful exercise because there are other forms of identification aside the PVCS.
“What you need is to properly identify yourself at the polling units through the voters register and the PVC that bears your name and your picture so anybody buying up PVCS doesn’t believe in the tenet of democracy. This is participatory democracy and everybody must be allowed to make his choice. I condemned the act (of buying PVCS) in its entirety and I want to urge anyone doing that to stop it.
“On whether he was aware that the incumbent governor, Adams Oshiomhole has endorsed one of the aspirants to be the party’s flag bearer, the Edo State Deputy Governor said ” I know my boss, if had anointed anybody, he would not be afraid to say so publicly, to the extent he has not said so publicly, that is in the realm of rumour and I’ll urge you to take as such. “
