Press Statement
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) mocks the All Progressives Congress
(APC) for plotting to use fabrications in a section of the media to
arm-twist the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to
manipulate the Edo state governorship election for their rejected
candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
The party said that in sponsoring fake reports that PDP leaders were
putting pressure on INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, on the Edo
election, the APC has further exposed its hopelessness over their
rejection by the Edo people and now seeks to blackmail the Commission.
Whereas we understand APC’s despondency over the soaring popularity of
our party and candidate, Governor Godwin Obaseki, the APC is worsening
its woes by sponsoring fabrications against the expressed will of the
people of Edo state to re-elect Governor Obaseki in the September
election.
The APC, by now, should know that attempting to rig, by any way
whatsoever, will surely be met with stiff resistance and dire
consequences from the people.
Our party counsels the APC to blame nobody but themselves for having a
discredited nomination process and being stuck with a blighted
candidate, who has now become a symbol of a direct affront by corrupt
political godfathers and cabal to the will, ability and liberty of the
people of Edo state to chose their own leader.
The APC should blame themselves for presenting a candidate who was
exposed by their party’s former National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, as
a person of questionable character, a treasury looter, acid bather,
rusticated student; a politician, who is only good for “night meetings”
and unfit to hold office as governor of Edo state.
The APC should also hold Oshiomhole responsible for indicting its
candidate as a “fake pastor” that started carrying the Holy Bible
because he could not practice as a barrister.
It is indeed disgraceful that 73 days to the election, all the APC has
to offer is blackmail against our leaders, after its plans to derail the
election has been exposed.
It is common knowledge among Nigerians that characters, such as
‘gandollar’, the killers in the Kogi election as well as manipulators in
the Imo election, being paraded by the APC as the face of their campaign
in Edo state, were foisted into office through rigging, bloodletting and
manipulation of election results.
Nigerians already know how the “Gandollar” election was driven by
mercenaries from neighboring countries who disrupted electoral processes
and inflicted injuries and pain on our compatriots.
Nigerians can also recall how, in the Kogi election last year, gunmen
and police helicopter were used to chase away voters, while an innocent
woman, Salome Abuh, was killed by APC thugs in celebration of their
bloodstained electoral conquest in the worst election in our political
history as a nation.
The public has not also forgotten how an individual, who came a distant
fourth in the Imo state governorship election, suddenly became the
winner.
The PDP notes that it is only a discredited and rejected party like the
APC that will enlist the services of known election manipulators, who
have now started their assignment by sponsoring fake reports, to run its
campaign.
Our party cautions the APC to desist from their plots to rig the Edo
election as the people of Edo will firmly resist them. The APC should
rather blame themselves for their woes and get ready to accept their
inevitable crushing defeat at the poll.
Furthermore, the PDP counsels INEC to note the dangerous plots of the
APC and insulate itself from their shenanigans as the tide in this
election is already clear for all to see.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary
