The Edo State Government on Sunday revealed an alleged plot by the All Progressives Congress to disrupt the upcoming elections in the state.
According to Chris Osa Nehikhare, Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, the APC plans to use thugs dressed in police uniforms and masks to intimidate voters and disrupt the electoral process.
The government claims to have uncovered a large-scale production of these uniforms and masks, as well as plans to deploy militants to disrupt election materials and officials in certain areas.
Additionally, the government alleges that the APC plans to redeploy security officials attached to Governor Godwin Obaseki, leaving him vulnerable, according to Independent.
The Commissioner also accused Senator Adams Oshiomhole of planning to engage security personnel to shield his supporters while they thumbprint ballot papers.
He further alleged that the APC has gathered thugs in Egor Local Government Area to disrupt the voting process.
The Edo State Government is calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order security agencies to prevent these attacks and ensure a free, fair, and credible election.
They also appealed to the international community to prevail on the President to protect the rights of Edo people to vote for their chosen candidate.
“We have also uncovered plans by the House of Representative member representing Ovia Constituency who has engaged about 200 militants for the purpose of disrupting election materials and electoral officials in the riverine axis of the State beginning from Ologbo, Nikorogha, all the way to Siluko.
“We understand that these militants have already been ferried into the State and lodged into various hotels and this intimidation tactic is irresponsible and most reprehensible.
“We have also uncovered plans to redeploy all the security officials attached to the Edo State Governor, His Excellency Governor Godwin Obaseki, in order to leave him without protection and render him vulnerable as we head into the election as well as on election day”
“We are also aware of plans that have already been concluded by Senator Adams Oshiomhole to engage the Commander of Mopol 60 and his men who have been engaged to provide shield in the polling units around Senator Oshiomhole’s home in Iyamho in order to allow the senator and his supporters take the ballot paper and all election materials into his premises and thumbprint all the ballot papers for APC, leaving other parties with no chances of getting fair votes.
“In the last elections, we gave this information but it was ignored. The BVAS report validated our report as 210 people were accredited but over 1000 votes were recorded.
“Having confirmed that they cannot win in Okpella, Lampese, Fugar, Ibillo, and Agenebode, the APC has concluded plans to use thugs veiled in those masks and police uniforms which they produced to disrupt electoral process and intimidate voters in those areas”
The Commissioner also alleged that in Egor Local Government Area, the APC has gathered thugs in the home of one of the party chieftains as well as other houses in the neighborhood under the shield of the Textile Mill Police Station in order to disrupt the voting process in Egor Local Government.
“We are by this press conference calling on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to order the security agencies, especially the police to stop the attacks on unarmed and harmless Edo people and Nigerians who have done nothing wrong except that they want a free, fair and credible election so that they can vote for the candidate of their choice
“We are calling on the International Community, Embassies of the United States, United Kingdome and the European Union as well as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) to prevail on President Tinubu so that the electorate in Edo can cast their votes in favour of whoever they believe is better to lead their State for the next four years.”
“We are bringing these” information
to the notice of the general public as well as calling on the security agencies to act swiftly to arrest or dislodge these thugs and plans”, he declared.
