EDO 2020: APC Vice-Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee Sues for Peace Ahead of the Gubernatorial Election

PRESS CONFERENCE

Good morning gentlemen of the press.

Our party, the All Progressives Congress, is convinced we are all aware of
the times we are in and consequently understand our roles and obligations
in keeping our society safe and secure from the fiercer spread of the
Coronavirus.

We are assured, too, that we are equally aware of the fact that in our
state, Edo, our governorship election is no more than 7 weeks away. In
that, as well, we all have the responsibility of active participation.

It is in view of these foregoing concerns that we have called you here
today—to provide updates on our initiatives and activities geared towards
reclaiming and installing the mandate of progress and development in our
dear state. But for us to achieve that, we must first create an environment
that is comfortable and that enables the flourish of peaceful and upright
debate of ideas; an environment that allows for all aspirants, however
popular or obscure, to democratically pursue their ambition without brazen
or overt intimidation.

Unfortunately, because of the compounding intolerance of Governor Godwin
Obaseki and his iron-fist administration, this has not been made possible.

It is no longer news that state-sponsored elements, acting under the clear
direction of the edo state government, destroyed the APC’s billboards and
other physical infrastructure and paraphernalia of partisan campaign.

That ignoble act of infamy was roundly and viscerally deprecated by our
people at home and in the diaspora who are rightly and historically opposed
to illegality, intolerance, and the oppressive dictatorship that the Edo
State government, daily displays with impunity.

One may think that the loud democratic outcry from our people would force
the Governor and his cronies to rethink their actions and embrace sanity.
Instead, the Edo state government has doubled down on these illegalities,
revealing itself to be insensitive to the yearnings of the people and
non-committal to a peaceful, rancor-free election.

Only yesterday, Saturday the 25th of July, the Governor’s army of thugs and
cultists descended on protesters at the entrance of the Palace of our great
King, the Oba of Benin, and other parts of the Benin metropolis, sending
many to the hospital with gunshot wounds because they dared to express
their rejection we were made to understand of the out-going governor who
instead of fixing the humongous problems bedeviling the state such as the
payment of owed salaries and fixing the states challenging ecological
issues inter alia, rather chose to invite “tax-collectors” to the State to
further feast on the State’s treasury.

We are shocked that after that palace incident, APC’s supporters and all
our party members wearing Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu’s caps and t-shirts were
physically assaulted in the streets of Benin and we have those willing to
testify to this brazen act of unprovoked street assault. This is
unacceptable to us as a party. How long more can we persuade our teeming
party loyalists to hold back?

Worse still, information have also reached us from sources in Obaseki’s
government who are but disillusioned with his nefarious acts, that the
governor has plotted and perfected a criminally appalling initiative aimed
at subverting the will of the people.

On the back of conscripting renowned cultists and providing them official
cover and funding for wanton violence under the guise of aides
appointments, Mr. Godwin Obaseki is planning to use COVID-19 as a ruse to
neuter grassroots leaders of our party, the APC on the eve of the
gubernatorial election by abducting and detaining them in isolation
centers—this way, disenfranchising them and forestalling the political
force they would deliver in pursuant of APC’s victory.

Having pellucidly read the handwriting on the wall that he faces a
monumental defeat and an electoral opprobrium on the 19th of September,
Obaseki aims to illegally strike what he deems the head and important
political leaders of our party with the hopes of subverting the election.

Names of prominent leaders of the APC have been compiled to be dealt with,
intimidated, harassed, terrorized, physically assaulted, and lacerated by
state-sponsored goons.

Mr. Godwin Obaseki is also planning to continue his persecution of Comrade
Adams Oshiomhole with trumped-up and inconsequential charges at the
eleventh hour of electoral politics. Obaseki’s simple plan is to arraign
Oshiomhole for a probe that has been revealed as nothing but a targeted
political witch-hunt and then deny him bail on eve of election to paralyze
the APC.

We have also been reliably apprised of the fact that a top security aid of
the governor has been frenziedly coordinating different meetings with
thugs, cultists, and other agents of state like the discredited politically
Wabazigan, a pseudo state police which he has weaponized as a tool of
oppression, to devise various demonic plans to ransack the homes of our
party members and leaders with the view of destroying their properties and
planting incriminating items that would serve as a basis for unjust
harassment and illegal detainment.

These people, emboldened and funded by our state resources, are also
plotting to set fire on the farm of Captain Hosa Okunbo because the
Governor believes he is entitled to his support and will see to the
destruction of his businesses and reputation if we won’t offer this support.

These anomalies and acts of political desperadoism, are direct affronts on
the country’s constitution and the rule of law.

We have invited you here, gentlemen of the press, as the writers and
curators of the first draft of history, to give you a clairvoyant glimpse
into the Machiavellian plans of the outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki,
investing our hopes and trust in the power of the media to bring this yet
secret knowledge to the awareness of the general public.

In entering the fourth republic, when we left our chequered past behind,
adopting a constitution characterized by fairness, equity, justice, and
rule of law, we had in mind that the dream of one Nigeria is not greater
than the dream of another no matter the political office he or she
occupies.

We worked hard to ensure that our politics, like all politics, despite
marked by fiercely contending ambitions, would never sink into the
despicable levels that we may have sunk into in the past.

Our plea this morning to INEC, the Police, and other relevant stakeholders
is to request Mr. Governor to allow the rule of law and a level democratic
playing field to hold supreme between now and the end of the Edo
governorship elections. This is not too much to request of a sitting
governor.

Signed

Rt. Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon
Vice-Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee, APC National Campaign Council

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