Gov election: Edo govt accuses APC of plotting civil unrest

The Edo State Government on Wednesday accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of an alleged plan to orchestrate civil unrest in Edo State ahead of the September 21 governorship election.

Briefing newsmen in Benin, Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, said the plans by the APC to orchestrate civil unrest and cause mayhem in the state under the guise of protests and rallies in order to advance their obnoxious political agenda have been exposed.

Nehikhare noted that APC is resorting to the devious plan because they have realised the folly of presenting an unlettered and incompetent candidate for the office of governor.

Reacting to the allegation, the APC, in a statement by its Director of Publicity, Edo APC campaign council, Orobosa Omo-Ojo, said Obaseki and Ighodalo’s incessant noise is a cover-up for the grand economic corruption the two friends have committed against Edo people.

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

Also, the APC governorship candidate in Edo, Monday Okpebholo, in an interview with members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), said the insinuation that he is not an eloquent speaker is the handiwork of the PDP and the Obaseki-led government.

Nehikhare noted that the APC has failed in their desperate resort to lies and propaganda to hoodwink Edo people ahead of the September 21 governorship election.

The statement read in part, “Our attention has been drawn to plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to orchestrate civil unrest and cause mayhem in the state under the guise of protests and rallies in order to advance their obnoxious political agenda.

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

“Their candidate, Monday Okpebholo, has continued to embarrass the party and his handlers in private and public fora.

“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,” Nehikhare said.

He added that the APC plans to incite civil unrest in the state and cause chaos under the guise of riots and protests in order to disrupt the peace and stability of the state while diverting attention from their candidate’s weaknesses and buying time to avoid debates and meaningful engagement with the people.

Nehikhare, however, called on all security agencies in the state, including the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Department of State Services (DSS), the Brigade Commander, 4 Brigade, Benin, among others, to take notice of the 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.

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

The Edo State Government spokesman, who urged the APC to refrain from their divisive tactics and resort to violence, tasked it to 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.