Edo APC says govt can’t fault party chair’s poverty claim

The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress said on Friday that the state government cannot fault the party’s state chairman’s claim that Edo people have been pushed below the poverty line.

To buttress his claim, Jarret Tenebe, who has suffered verbal attacks since making the statement, said the poor rural dwellers could not afford Android phones or data and watch pay-per-view TV.

Tenebe had initially stated this during a Thursday interview session with Arise TV.

There, he also disclosed that the APC governorship candidate, Mike Okpebholo, will not honour the channel’s request for an interview.

While Olumide Akpata, the candidate of the Labour Party, and his Peoples Democratic Party counterpart, Asue Ighodalo, have appeared on the show, Okpebholo has yet to honour the interview request.

Responding to why, Tenebe stated that Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, has “impoverished” people of the state that they cannot afford subscriptions to watch programmes on cable channels.

Meanwhile, the APC, through its Director of Publicity, Orobosa Omo-Ojo, on Friday, said, “With exactly 21 days to the watershed governorship election in Edo State, the All Progressives Congress is glad to tell Nigerians that Edo people have demonstrated their unequivocal decision to take back the state from the present political bandits that have plundered their commonwealth.

“Their resolve is strengthened by the infrastructural decay across the state, which has exacerbated the socioeconomic crises caused by the wanton neglect of the rural dwellers.

“Therefore, Edo people can only score Governor Godwin Obaseki and his People’s Democratic Party with the works done or undone in tangible pillars such as roads, schools, hospitals, agriculture, land administration, culture, and relationship with our treasured traditional institutions when they will be casting their votes for freedom on September 21, 2024.

“They will not be confounded about the difficulties and dangers they are presently facing or be deceived about the prosperity they enjoyed during the eight years of APC administration under the leadership of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. They will rationalise these glaring contrasts on September 21, 2024, to reclaim and reset Edo to the past glory that APC attained in the state.

“The statement made by our State Chairman, Jarret Tenebe, that Edo State has been pushed below the poverty line by Governor Obaseki and as such, the majority of the poor rural dwellers are unable to buy Android phones or data, aptly defines the miserable hardship that has been caused by the PowerPoint administration of the PDP in Edo State.

“No analysis of junk data coming from any onlooker, observing from his armchair in Lagos, Abuja, or anywhere outside Edo State, will abort the plan of stakeholders to own their destiny. Edo people will not allow rent seekers to peddle plagiarised figures and data that do not reflect the physical conditions in Edo State.

“It is unethical for pseudo-commentators to make spurious judgements on the state of affairs in Edo, except for someone who has gone around the 18 local government areas. In this regard, the APC is inviting independent journalists, to join the APC campaign train to the 192 wards to gather organic and substantiated data on the local economic development from Edo rural dwellers.

The statement urged media houses to document the ecological disaster in Edo under Governor Obaseki, highlighting the deteriorating conditions in the Evbueghae Community and criticising the PDP’s leadership.

It further read, “In the alternative, television houses, editors of national dailies can ask their reporters that are embedded with our crew to take videos and pictures of the ecological disaster that Edo has become under Governor Obaseki of the PDP.

“Even now, we are ready to share with media houses, the video of Evbueghae Community, where Obaseki’s Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, hails from. The only thing of note standing there are Evbueghae Primary School Three blocks of ‘Red Roof’ classrooms that were built by APC’s Oshiomhole.

“The tarred road has been washed to over 5 feet deep, especially in front of Nehikhare’s family house. The only signs of electricity are strings of lifeless wires and rusty transformers.

“The PDP leaders and Governor Obaseki may disagree with Tenebe that the rural Edo State people, who are in the majority, do not watch television because of their inability to afford pay-per-view television digital sets or buy data.

“Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches. Only the poor whose rice and other grains were diverted by Obaseki can decide on their life survival strategies.”

In an earlier statement, Nehikhare condemned Tenebe and urged him to acknowledge the giant stride Governor Godwin Obaseki had taken in the development of the state.

He said, “We, the concerned citizens of Edo State, express our deep disappointment and condemnation of the recent remarks made by the APC State Chairman, which unjustly labelled the people of Edo as “too poor” to access pay TV and internet services. Such statements not only undermine the dignity of our citizens but also misrepresent the ongoing progress and development within our state.

“Edo State has witnessed significant economic growth, as evidenced by our increasing Internally Generated Revenue, Gross Domestic Product and the successful implementation of government initiatives, including the provision of free internet access to enhance connectivity for our people. These efforts reflect a commitment to improving the quality of life and empowering our citizens.

“It is essential for our leaders to recognise and celebrate the resilience and achievements of Edo people rather than perpetuating harmful stereotypes.

“We urge the  APC chairman, Jarret Tenebe, to acknowledge the strides we have made together and to engage in constructive dialogue that uplifts our community.”