PDP To APC, Ize-Iyamu: You Can’t Rig Edo Election

…Urges APC to desist from fabrications

BY GRACE ANYANWU, ABUJA – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday said the All Progressives Congress (APC) should by now, know that attempting to rig the Edo State governorship election, by any way whatsoever, will surely be met with stiff resistance and dire consequences from the people.

The party therefore counseled the APC to blame nobody but themselves for having a discredited nomination process and being stuck with a blighted candidate, who has now become a symbol of a direct affront by corrupt political godfathers and cabal to the will, ability and liberty of the people of Edo State to choose their own leader.

The PDP also said that the APC should blame themselves for presenting a candidate who was exposed by their former National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, as a person of questionable character, a treasury looter, acid bather, rusticated student; a politician, who is only good for “night meetings” and unfit to hold office as governor of Edo state.

The PDP also mocked the APC for plotting to use fabrications in a section of the media to arm-twist the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to manipulate the Edo state governorship election for their candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

The party said that in sponsoring fake reports that PDP leaders were putting pressure on INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, on the Edo election, further exposed the hopelessness of the APC over their rejection by the Edo people and now seeks to blackmail the Commission.

The PDP in a statement by its spokesman, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan noted that whereas it understands APC’s despondency over its (PDP) soaring popularity and candidate, Governor Godwin Obaseki, the APC is worsening its woes by sponsoring fabrications against the expressed will of the people of Edo state to re-elect Governor Obaseki in the September election.

It further said; “The APC should also hold Oshiomhole responsible for indicting its candidate as a “fake pastor” that started carrying the Holy Bible because he could not practice as a barrister.

“It is indeed disgraceful that 73 days to the election, all the APC has to offer is blackmail against our leaders, after its plans to derail the election has been exposed.

“It is common knowledge among Nigerians that characters, such as ‘gandollar’, the killers in the Kogi election as well as manipulators in the Imo election, being paraded by the APC as the face of their campaign in Edo State, were foisted into office through rigging, bloodletting and manipulation of election results.

“Nigerians already know how the “Gandollar” election was driven by mercenaries from neighboring countries who disrupted electoral processes and inflicted injuries and pain on our compatriots.

“Nigerians can also recall how, in the Kogi election last year, gunmen and police helicopter were used to chase away voters, while an innocent woman, Salome Abuh, was killed by APC thugs in celebration of their bloodstained electoral conquest in the worst election in our political history as a nation.

“The public has not also forgotten how an individual, who came a distant fourth in the Imo state governorship election, suddenly became the winner,” PDP said.

The party noted that it is only a discredited and rejected party like the APC that will enlist the services of known election manipulators, who have now started their assignment by sponsoring fake reports, to run its campaign.

The PDP therefore cautioned the APC to desist from their plots to rig the Edo election as the people of Edo will firmly resist them, adding that the APC should rather blame themselves for their woes and get ready to accept their inevitable crushing defeat at the poll.

Furthermore, the PDP also counseled INEC to note the dangerous plots of the APC and insulate itself from their shenanigans, saying that “the tide in this election is already clear for all to see”.