The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State at the weekend traded blames over attack on their members on Saturday at the palace of the Oba of Benin.
The parties’ leaders who accused each other, however, called on security agencies to arrest and try the perpetrators and their sponsors.
The leadership of the two parties spoke at a separate press briefing in Benin City at their various governorship campaign office.
Addressing newsmen, Patrick Obahiagbon, Vice-Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee, APC National Campaign Council accused Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki and the leadership of PDP of sponsoring armed thugs and cultists to attack those protesting against the failure of the governor to proffer solution to the state’s challenges, at the palace.
Obahiagbon, alleged that the state government is planning to use COVID-19 as a plot on the eve of the governorship election to abduct and detain leaders of APC at the grassroots in isolation centers
He alleged that the plan was to ensure that the leaders of the party were disenfranchised during the election.
He also alleged that the state government and PDP are compiling names of prominent leaders of the party to be intimidated, harassed, terrorized, physically assaulted, and lacerated by state-sponsored hoodlums before the election.
According to him, only yesterday, Saturday the 25th of July, the Governor’s army of thugs and cultists descended on protesters at the entrance of the Palace of our great King, the Oba of Benin, and other parts of the Benin metropolis, sending many to the hospital with gunshot wounds because they dared to express their rejection we were made to understand of the out-going governor who instead of fixing the humongous problems bedeviling the state.
“Such humongous problems bedeviling the state like the payment of owed salaries and fixing the states challenging ecological issues inter alia, rather chose to invite ‘tax-collectors’ to the State to further feast on the State’s treasury.
“We are shocked that after that palace incident, APC’s supporters and all our party members wearing Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu’s caps and t-shirts were physically assaulted in the streets of Benin and we have those willing to testify to this brazen act of unprovoked street assault.
“This is unacceptable to us as a party. How long more can we persuade our teeming party loyalists to hold back?
“These people, emboldened and funded by our state resources, are also plotting to set fire on the farm of Captain Hosa Okunbo because the Governor believes he is entitled to his support and will see to the destruction of his businesses and reputation if he won’t offer this support”,he alleged.
He however, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigerian Police and all other relevant stakeholders to prevail on the state government to allow the rule of law and a level democratic playing field to hold supreme between now and the end of the Edo governorship election.
In its press briefing, the State PDP campaign council, however, accused the leadership of APC of plotting to eliminate its governors and the entire National Working Committee of the party.
Dan Orbih, Chairman, Edo State PDP campaign council who said the party’s visit to the palace was officially approved by the palace noted that there was no any official records that members of APC has any appointment with the Oba.
Orbih who described the attack as well planned and calculated to eliminate the party’s governors and entire members of the National Working Committee, opined that if the plot had succeeded it would have resulted to inter-state wars between the governors of the affected states and Edo State.
While commending members of the party for not taking laws into their hands, he however, called on the security agencies to arrest and try the perpetrators and their sponsors for mutiny.
“The visit of the governors was officially communicated to the palace and the various security agencies in accordance with INEC guidelines.
“I also want to say that there is no official records stating that APC had any event scheduled for yesterday either at the palace or anywhere in Benin City. The visit that was embarked upon by the governor of Edo state was to officially intimate our Royal father of his intention to contest for the governorship election that is coming up in Edo state on September 19, 2020.
“In that visit we had the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, the entire members of the National Working Committee, the governors of Rivers, Sokoto, Delta states and of course, the host governor, Godwin Obaseki.
“From what we have gathered so far is that yesterday’s event was a well organized one to eliminate the entire leadership of PDP in Nigeria and the democratically elected governors of the party who were all expected to be at that ceremony.
“But for the delays in the various airports the ones I just mentioned were the ones who were immediately available at the palace while others met the governor at the stadium.
“Thank God they did not succeed in their evil plans because yesterday event or incident was capable of bringing inter-state wars among the affected states that their governors were targeted to be eliminated in Edo State. This to our mind is a very dangerous development”,he stated.
He however, assured that no amount of violent will stop the people from exercising their rights to vote for the party’s governorship candidate during the election.
