PDP Must Avoid Election Rigging, Violence During Edo Polls – APC

The ruling party, APC has come out to say that PDP should purge itself of all election rigging, violence ahead of Edo elections.

APC revealed this via its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yekini Nabena in a recent statement n Abuja.

According to him, Governor Godwin Obaseki has been spinning conspiracies on the role of FG ahead of Edo polls and this is only because he is jealous of the support Osagie Ize-Iyamu has gathered since he won the primaries.

He added that politicians should learn to purge themselves of their agelong undemocratic habits of election rigging, vote-buying, violence, abuse of state institutions for political ends, and focus on developing Nigeria.

His words, “Critical state institutions such as the Judiciary, INEC, security services have been the ultimate beneficiaries of the President’s impartiality and non-interference. We must all support the independence of our state institutions to deepen our democracy and improve our electioneering system.”

“Ahead of the Edo State Governorship election, the PDP candidate, Governor Godwin Obaseki continually spins puerile conspiracies on the role of ‘federal might’, while using his so-called “Obaseki Boys” and state apparatus under his control to harass the State House of Assembly and APC members in the state. On his part, Governor Nyesom Wike as head of the PDP campaign council threatens violence.

“While we understand the panic and distress in the camp of the PDP and Governor Obaseki following the massive and widespread support given by the Edo electorate to the APC Governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the APC invites the PDP to join us in issue-based campaigns and atleast attempt to sell to the Edo electorate the merit of their candidate, if any.

“The APC’s people-focused development records across the country form the basis of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu’s six-point ‘SIMPLE agenda’ for the good people of Edo State which stands for Security, Infrastructural development, Manpower development, Public-Private Partnership, Leadership, and Employment creation.

“We call on partisans, particularly the PDP to purge themselves of their agelong undemocratic habits of election rigging, vote-buying, violence, abuse of state institutions for political ends and address themselves to new realities that under the President Buhari-led APC administration, the power now belongs to the people and during elections, votes count”.