The All Progressives Congress (ÀPC) has described as dubious, calls by the Peoples Democratic Party (DP) Governors’ Forum imploring President Muhammadu Buhari, security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure credible polls in the forthcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.
This was contained in a statement titled, “PDP Governors’ Forum Call for Credible Edo, Ondo Governorship Elections a Smokescreen”, signed by the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yekini Nabena, in Abuja, on Sunday.
The APC statement read in part, “For a party whose stock-in-trade remains cloning of Permanent Voters Cards, stealing card readers, voter intimidation, thuggery, and vote-buying as witnessed during the 2019 General Elections, the PDP’s call is dubious and a smokescreen for their real and sinister intentions.
“The real issue is how the Edo State treasury has been criminally converted to a political slush fund as exposed by the widely reported faceoff between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shuaibu over release of funds for the PDP governorship campaign.
“Again, as chairman of the Edo State PDP governorship Campaign Council, the violence being threatened by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike ahead of the September 19 Edo governorship election are the real issues. Wike has promised to ‘make sure that everything needed is done’ to foist the PDP governorship candidate on the good people of Edo State.”
The APC further claimed that it had reports of Wike’s plan to import thugs from neighbouring states to Edo.
Nabena said, “We reiterate that he will not succeed. We stand with the good people of Edo State in calling on our security services not to allow the PDP and Wike turn Edo State into a killing field.”
