Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, and Director of Publicity, All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Council, Orobosa Omo-Ojo, have clashed over plan to orchestrate civil unrest in the state.
Nehikhare, yesterday at a news conference in Benin, said attention of Edo government was drawn to a plot by APC leaders to cause mayhem in the state, under the guise of protests and rallies, in order to advance their obnoxious political agenda.
He said: “APC leaders are resorting to this devious plan, because they have realised the folly of presenting an unlettered and incompetent candidate for the office of governor.
“Their candidate, Monday Okpebholo, has continued to embarrass the party and his handlers in private and public fora with his poor grasp of basic concepts and intellectual immaturity, consistently displaying inability to articulate and coherently sell his vision to the electorate and other key stakeholders.
“Reeling from the pains of selling a bad and unmarketable candidate and having failed in their desperate actions, PDP chieftains have resorted to lies and propaganda to hoodwink Edo people ahead of the September 21 governorship election. The only path the APC in Edo State now sees to promote their campaigns is to cause chaos and crisis in the state.
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“Our findings reveal that the APC plans to incite civil unrest in Edo State and cause chaos, under the guise of riots and protests, in order to disrupt the peace and stability of the state, while diverting attention from their candidate’s weaknesses and buying time to avoid debates and meaningful engagement with the people.
“Edo State Government is aware of their evil plans, and will not sit idly and watch them unleash mayhem on the people and cause chaos in the state.”
Edo Commissioner for Communication and Orientation urged security agencies in the state to take notice of the planned heinous plan by the APC leaders to orchestrate civil unrest and cause mayhem.
Omo-Ojo, however, accused Governor Godwin Obaseki and his godson, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, of continuing to rehash phantom stories, which he described as a reflection of their fear of reprisals from Edo residents, who recently capitalised on the “#End Bad Governance” protest that was sponsored by Obaseki against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to search for their hidden palliatives, which Edo governor stored in the houses of PDP leaders in the state.
He said: “Obaseki organised the anti-federal government protest at King’s Square, Benin City with N200 million, all in his bid to demonise President Tinubu and APC, and punish Edo people, who he has deprived of their palliatives.
“Contrary to Obaseki’s expectation, while he was addressing his PDP members and political aides he gathered as protesters, the real protesters harkened the call by APC to locate their rice and other palliatives hidden in Edo State Government warehouses and houses of PDP members.
“The real protesters that were present in King Square hurled water sachets at Obaseki, while some called him useless man. Since our charge to Edo people to take back their rice, over four warehouses and private homes have been forced open by hungry men and women to collect what rightly belongs to them.
“The fear of losing the entire hidden grains led to Obaseki’s sudden hatred for organisers of the protest, who he now calls hoodlums. Same group of persons he praised for causing hardship on the streets of Edo State. Obaseki’s and Ighodalo’s incessant noise is a cover up for the grand economic corruption the two friends have committed against Edo people.”
