The Peoples Democratic Party National
Campaign Council for the Edo Governorship
Election states that the brazen admission by the
Buhari Presidency that the sacked national
chairman of the All Progressives Congress
(APC), Adams Oshiomhole and the Chief of Staff
to Mr. President, Prof, Ibrahim Gambari, met at
the Presidential villa, during which, as shown in
the trending leaked video, they discussed the
arrests of certain individuals ahead of the
September 19 election has confirmed our
nation’s worst fears.
In a statement by the Secretary, Publicity Sub Committee
National Campaign Council on Edo Governorship
Election ,Kola Ologbondiyan said that it indeed speaks volumes that the Buhari
Presidency is trying to rationalize the plot by the
godfather of the APC candidate, Osagie Ize-
Iyamu, Adams Oshiomhole, who was captured on
the trending video, plotting to use compromised
security operatives to clampdown on certain
unnamed Nigerians to achieve political
suppression and rig the Edo governorship
election.
“Of course, the Presidency and the APC cannot
post a denial because they have been caught and
exposed by the Nigerian people, who generally
detest their lies, propaganda, underhand
methods, resort to violence and rigging of
election..”
“By describing the discussion by Oshiomhole and
Prof. Gambari, in which Oshiomhole was heard
finalizing a plot to clampdown political rivals, as
“an innocent conversation”, the Buhari
Presidency has further exposed its complicity.
This convoluted admission by the Presidency
speaks more of the conversation that must have
held behind closed doors with President
Muhammadu Buhari..”
“Nigerians were further alarmed by the admission
that Oshiomhole, the face of the APC campaign,
was at the Presidential Villa for discussions on
“emerging incidents of violence in the run up to
the election” as well as the “use of Law
enforcement”, in an election in which he and the
APC have displayed a desperation to grab power
at all costs.”,Ologbondiyan said .
“The question is: when did Oshiomhole become
the National Security Adviser (NSA). When did
Oshiomhole become a service chief? Is
Oshiomhole holding any statutory position in the
government or even in the APC, as a party, to
warrant a security meeting with the President, if
the meeting was not for ulterior partisan
purposes on the Edo election?.”
“This development also points to the obvious fact
that the security architecture of our nation has
been abandoned by statutory officials and now
vested in political hooligans as well as characters
like Oshiomhole for suppression of innocent
Nigerians and rigging of elections..”
“If the meeting was indeed focused on genuinely
curbing violence, as being claimed by the
Presidency, why were leaders of other political
parties and other stakeholders in the Edo
governorship election not invited? Why was this
meeting centered on the arrest and clampdown
of political rivals?.”
“Our National Campaign on Edo State
Governorship Election is worried by the
discussion between Oshiomhole and Prof.
Gambari because of the history of electoral
violence that has characterized elections under
this administration..”
“Already, our National Campaign has been made
aware of plots by Oshiomhole to design fake
military, police and other security agencies’
uniforms for APC thugs with the view of using
them to unleash violence and clampdown on
traditional, faith-based and community leaders in
Edo state on trumped-up charges..”
“While our National Campaign understands the
pedigree of Prof. Gambari, we want to however
caution him not to allow his record of service to
be tainted with the violence being perpetrated by
the APC in Edo as well as Oshiomhole’s repeated
calls for clampdown on the Edo people, ahead of
the election. The world is watching!.”
“Furthermore, it is ludicrous for the Presidency to
conjure “facts” on parties leveling accusations of
violence against one another, while pretending
towards the attack on the PDP leaders at the
Oba’s Palace in Benin, which has been in the
public domain..”
“Till date, the Presidency has said nothing over
the meeting held between the APC candidate,
Ize-Iyamu and some thugs, where he was seen
on a viral video, giving instructions to them to
break electoral laws and use violence to rig
elections for him.”
“As at the moment, nobody has been arrested or
questioned by the security agencies and nothing
has been heard from the Presidency on that
callous invitation to public violence.
Recently, the campaign train of our candidate,
Governor Godwin Obaseki had suffered several
attacks from APC thugs. In these attacks,
Governor Obaseki was firmly defended by the
people of Edo state, who had vowed, in their
majority, to re-elect him because of his
performance and personal integrity.”
“Despite these attacks and the outcry by the
people of Edo state against Oshiomhole and the
APC, there has been no investigation or arrest of
culprits, neither did the Presidency condemned
such nefarious acts.”
“How can a Presidency, under whose watch a
police helicopter was deployed to fire tear gas
canisters at the electorate, as witnessed in the
Kogi election, pretend to be supporting the will of
the people?.”
“How will a government who watched the
members of its party burn an innocent PDP
woman leader, Mrs. Salome Abuh to death, in
Kogi State, without any forms of reprimand, claim
to detest electoral violence and expect the public trust.”
How will Nigerians believe such gibberish when
it is on record that in spite of the manifest
electoral violence, vandalism and horrible
manipulation by the APC, the Buhari Presidency
had always come out to congratulate power
grabbers, such as it did in Kogi, Kano, Ekiti,
Ondo, Imo, elections among others.”
“However, in this Edo election, the PDP wants to
assure the APC and their leaders that the people
of Edo will never allow the Kogi, Kano, Ekiti or
Osun scenario to play out in their state.”
“Let it be known, and clearly too, that the PDP is
standing shoulder to shoulder with the people of
Edo state to resist Oshiomhole’s fake Police and
other fake security operatives they are planning
to import into Edo for the September 19 election..”
“Nothing, and indeed nothing, will by any means
whatsoever be allowed to bend the will of the
people in this Edo governorship election.,” He said .
