Barely six weeks to the Edo State governorship election, coalition of Community-Based Organizations, All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign team and the former National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, have again traded blame over the alleged plans to cause mayhem and violence during the election.
Recall that the campaign council of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and that of the APC had on July 25, 2020 traded blames over those behind the attack on PDP governors and party members at the Oba’s palace during the flag-off of the party’s campaign in Benin City.
More than a week after the incident, the coalition of Community-Based Organizations, All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign team and the former National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole are again at each others throat over the alleged plans to cause mayhem and violence during the election.
At a press conference in Benin City, the spokesperson of the coalition, made up of Midwest Progressives Forum (MPF), Afenmai Peace Initiative, Edo Youths United for Justice and Democracy and Niger Delta Professionals Alliance, Andrew Emwanta alleged that the APC governorship candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu had given a marching order to suspected thugs to move around all the 192 wards and thousands of units across the 18 local government to cause mayhem and violence during the election.
Emwanta, who also questioned the locus standi of the former national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole to campaign for the party’s governorship candidate alleged that his involvement was geared towards inciting people against the state governor, Godwin Obaseki and his party, the People’s Democratic Party.
“Oshiomhole as we speak is busy going from local government to local government inciting the people. He met with some traditional rulers in the state inciting them against the governor. This is the same person that in 2016 described Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as unfit to be governor of the state.
“He is now presenting the same person as a saint. He also said last year that the moment you join APC your sins have been forgiven, even if you are an armed robber.
“In what capacity is he campaigning because the court of appeal said having been suspended as the national chairman of the party, he can no longer act as its chairman nor its member?
“Oshiomhole’s motives of going from community to community to campaign is all clear that it is about inciting violence and inviting thugs against the state government”, he said.
While calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to rein in on Oshiomhole, he however, noted that the country already has a deadly pandemic which has claimed the lives of thousands of persons.
He said the coalition will not allow the virus of political violence to snatch the lives of innocent Nigerian citizens living in Edo state.
Reacting, John Mayaki, Chairman, Edo State APC Media Campaign Council described the allegations as mere propagandist by individual working for the state government.
“The People’s Democratic Party, alongside its unfortunate candidate, has continued the shameful lamentation typical of their propagandist electoral campaign.
“In a campaign season that has seen the unpopular party fumbling and struggling to provide solid, issue-based campaign and a catalogue of achievements, the PDP has resorted to baseless mudslinging, conspiracy twigging, and dishonorable falsehoods spewed to gain public pity. Unfortunately, while pity may temporarily attract emotional concern, it does not stand the fiery check of facts and logic.
On his part, Adams Oshiomhole, erstwhile National Chairman of APC said PDP is using the allegation to distract people from their failing campaign.
Victor Oshioke, APC chieftain and an ally of Adams Oshiomhole while denying the allegations said, the former national chairman of APC had never preached violence.
“Oshiomhole has never preached violence but governor Obaseki has been the one preaching violence in every statement he makes. It is his boys that are destroying APC posters across the state while PDP campaign posters are in display.
“So those introducing violence are Obaseki, Shaibu and their supporters”,he added.
