• Call Speaker to order over violence, intimidation, APC tells security agencies
• Mischief-makers want to tarnish my image, says Agbebaku

The Association for Better Edo (ABE) has reiterated that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming September 21 governorship election in Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, will truly make the state the heartbeat again, as it was during the administrations of Ogbemudia, Ambrose Alli and Adams Oshiomhole.

This was contained in a statement at the weekend. The group, led by Dr. Idemudia Eiremiokhae, stated that the state has fallen behind other states in the country in every facet of the socio-economic index.

According to the statement, the state under Governor Godwin Obaseki has witnessed infrastructure deterioration in the last eight years.

It said: “All facilities that attract tourists to Edo State have remained moribund and in the state of disrepair, but all hope is not lost because Okpebholo is capable of resuscitating and even recreating new ones if voted in as the governor on September 21.

“Today, when you look back on things that made Edo the heartbeat, such as a workable educational system, excellent hospital facilities, adequate micro cooperatives in rural communities, motorable inland roads, all that have become history in the past eight years.

“Edo used to boast of Bendel Breweries, Bendel Hotels, Bendel Line, Bendel Feeds and some vibrant agro-industries, such as rubber plantations, palm oil farms, Ogbe hard court championship that was a tourist event for the state. But none of these establishments exist anymore in the heartbeat of the nation.”

Eiremiokhae, therefore, called on Edolites to rally around the APC gubernatorial candidate and vote en masse for him in the forthcoming election to correct the ills of Obaseki’s eight-year administration.

MEANWHILE, ahead of the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, the APC, yesterday, expressed worry over the actions of the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku.

In a statement in Benin City, the Director of Publicity, the APC Edo Governorship Campaign Council, Orobosa Omo-Ojo, said: “We have received several reports of wanton intimidation and violent actions exhibited by Agbebaku directly and sponsored.”

Omo-Ojo stated that Agbebaku’s action against a chieftain of the party, Lucky Ohimai, in Owan West Local Council, is becoming unbearable.

He said: “The Speaker is angry that Ohimai’s philanthropic activities in Owan West have liberated the people from the PDP’s ruinous governance.

“APC has taken note of the despicable falsehood made by the Speaker against Ohimai, and the party shall respond appropriately. We call on the Commissioner of Police, Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest him before he succeeds with his dastardly violent plans.

Reacting, Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Ivy Ebojele, said that the allegation is a blatant lie from the pit of hell, which can only be from mischief-makers within the opposition APC.