Edo, APC bicker over civil unrest allegation

The Edo State Government and the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress are at loggerheads over allegations of orchestrating unrest in the state.

At a press conference on Wednesday in Benin, the state capital, Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare said APC has resorted to a devious plan by orchestrating civil unrest in the state.

However, the Director of Publicity, Edo APC Governorship Campaign Council, Orobosa Omo-ojo, in a statement, described the accusation as incessant noise meant to cover up Governor Godwin Obaseki’s alleged economic corruption committed against Edo people.

Nehikhare said, “Our attention has been drawn to the All Progressives Congress plans to orchestrate civil unrest and cause mayhem in the state under the guise of protests and rallies to advance their obnoxious political agenda.

“The APC is resorting to this devious plan because it has realised the folly of presenting an unlettered and incompetent candidate for governor.

“Their candidate, Monday Okpebholo, has continued to embarrass the party and his handlers in private and public fora with his poor grasp of basic concepts and intellectual immaturity, consistently displaying an inability to articulate and coherently sell his vision to the electorate and other key stakeholders.

“Reeling from the pains of selling a bad and unmarketable candidate and having failed in their desperate resort to lies and propaganda to hoodwink Edo people ahead of the September 21 governorship election, the only path the APC in Edo State now sees to promote their campaigns is to cause chaos and crisis in the state.

“Our findings reveal that the APC plans to incite civil unrest in the state and cause chaos under the guise of riots and protests to disrupt the peace and stability of the state. They will also divert attention from their candidate’s weaknesses and buy time to avoid debates and meaningful engagement with the people.

“The Edo State Government is aware of their evil plans and will not sit idly and watch them unleash mayhem on the people and cause chaos in the state.

“While we call the attention of all security agencies in the state, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, the Brigade Commander, 4 Brigade, Benin, among others, to take notice of this planned heinous plan by the APC to orchestrate civil unrest and cause mayhem in the state, we assure members of the public to be rest assured that the government will spare no effort within the ambits of the law to forestall this planned attack on the state and its people and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.

“We urge the APC to refrain from their divisive tactics and resort to violence. They should instead bring their candidate out to speak to the people, even if it is in pidgin or his local Esan dialect, and as well debate with other candidates.  Edo people deserve to hear directly from him to enable them to make informed decisions ahead of the state’s September 21 governorship election.

Omo-ojo noted, “Governor Godwin Obaseki’s continued rehash of phantom puny stories reflects their fear of reprisals from Edo State people who recently capitalized on the End Bad Governance protest sponsored by Obaseki against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to search for their hidden palliatives, which the governor stored in the houses of PDP leaders.

“Edo people will recall how the governor organized the anti-federal government protest at Oba Ovoranmwen Square with N200 million, all in his bid to demonize Tinubu and APC and punish Edo people who he has deprived of their palliatives.

“But contrary to Obaseki’s expectation, while he was addressing his PDP members and political aides he gathered as protesters, the real protesters harkened to the call by APC to locate their rice and other palliatives hidden in Edo State Government warehouses and houses of PDP members.

“The real protesters that were present in Ovoranmwen square hurled water sachets at Obaseki. Since our charge to the Edo people to take back their rice, over four warehouses and private homes have been busted by hungry men and women to collect what rightly belongs to them.

“The fear of losing the entire hidden grains had led to Obaseki’s sudden hatred for organisers of the protest who he now calls, hoodlums and thugs. Same group of persons he praised for causing hardship on the streets of Edo State.

“This allegation is incessant noise to cover up for the grand economic corruption the governor has committed against the Edo people.

“It is also a panic measure by them to curry support in the face of impending disqualification of PDP and its candidate by the Independent National Electoral Commission over the forging of voter’s card.

“Finally, the APC in Edo is using this medium to notify our people that Obaseki on Tuesday, applied and got the approval of Edo State House of Assembly to borrow N8.550 billion for the purchase of his imaginary CNG buses. We reject the fresh loan on the heels of N11.1 billion Obaseki received from the Federal Account in the month of June.”