The All Progressives Congress (APC), Edo State Chapter, have cried out over alleged threat by Gov. Godwin Obaseki to deal with the leadership of the party in Ovia South West and the electorates in Nikorogha ward should the planned supplementary election for the State House of Assembly is not won by his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
APC chairman in the Local Government Area, Hon. Emmanuel Ogbomo made the allegation in a press statement made available to newsmen in Benin on Monday.
The chairman alleged that the Governor through his agents had allegedly informed PDP leaders in the area that he would make life unbearable for them should his party fail to win the Assembly seat which he said the APC candidate, Hon. Sunday Aghedo is currently in the lead.
The Chairman alleged that the Governor said that he has made things easy for them claiming that his preferred candidate is on the lead, that he would deployed necessary machinery to clinch the seat.
The chairman further claimed that the Governor was allegedly working with the Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Adamu Dankwara to ensure that he wins the assembly seat at all cost.
“This is what we are currently facing in the hands of Obaseki, his agents have started threatening voters and APC leaders in Nikorogha ward, especially Hon. Robert Okubo. The voters now live in fear, Leaders are beign threatened with arrest.
“We are however aware that the Governor is not working alone in this as we have it on good authority that he has secured the services of very senior officers of security operatives on this.
“He has sent a message to us that things will be done differently this time around.
“While we are not taking this threat easy, we however called on the federal government to caution the governor on this.
“Governor Obaseki has practically done everything possible to ensure that our candidate loses the election, first by working in concert with INEC returning officer, Prof. Francis Omoruyi to declare the election inconclusive, even when our candidate, Hon. Sunday Aghedo won, free and fair, he later connived with INEC officials to cancel votes in our strong holds including Nikorogha where election result was declared, even the ward collation Officer sworn to an affidavit that the election was peaceful in the ward” he stated.
“If anything happens to any voter or Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Godwin Obaseki and Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Dankwara should be held responsible”.
