The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has uncovered plans by the Presidency to allegedly interfere and manipulate the September 21 governorship election in the state in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement at the weekend, the State Party Chairman, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, also alleged that over $2m has been released to the APC candidate to buy votes and bribe security agencies during the election.
Aziegbemi said the party stands resolute to win the gubernatorial election in a peaceful and credible contest and called on President Bola Tinubu to be neutral in the election and allow the will of the people prevail by allowing a free, fair and credible election in the state.
He reminded Tinubu that he is the president of the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not the president of the APC.
The statement reads: “It has come to our notice that directives have been given from the Presidency to disrupt the September 21 governorship election in Edo State and manipulate the poll in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Our intelligence has revealed that the directive was given to security agencies to execute this devious plan, ensuring that the APC is declared winner of the Edo gubernatorial election at all costs.
“As part of the evil ploy, security chiefs have been ordered to make heavy deployment to the strongholds of the PDP, especially those of the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and our party’s candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo with the plan to destabilize the voting process in those areas.
“Some of the polling unit, registration area, and ward electoral officials have been uncovered to be card-carrying members of the APC. Their task, we have learnt, is to delay the result of their respective units with the aim of inciting violence and creating an unfavorable atmosphere during the election to favour the APC candidate during the compilation of result.
“The same poll officials and APC card-carrying members, we have gathered, are to be deployed to APC strongholds where they will ensure that ballot papers do not get to the polling units, setting the stage to declare the results in favour of the APC.”
He went further to say: "We want to unequivocally state that the PDP stands resolute to win the Saturday, September 21 gubernatorial election in Edo State in a peaceful and credible contest. Our party and its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, are poised for a decisive victory and will secure at least 70% of the vote on election day, and no amount of rigging and intimidation can stop the will of the people of Edo State.
"We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to live up to his responsibility as the President of the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not just the president of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and let the will of the people prevail by allowing a free, fair and credible election in Edo State.”
“The President must realize that the duty of keeping Edo State and Nigeria safe and peaceful is his primary responsibility and must therefore not allow the fear that his party will lose the forthcoming governorship poll in the state lead him to disrupt peace and security and set Edo State and Nigeria ablaze.
“We also call on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the international community, including the American Embassy, the British High Commission, the European Union and other embassies and international development organisations present in Nigeria, and other stakeholders to take note of the clandestine plan to undermine the forthcoming guber election and subvert the will of Edo people.”
The statement added, “As a party, we remain committed to a peaceful, free, fair and credible election in Edo State and call on all stakeholders to promptly intervene to prevent the State from teetering on the precipice of chaos and anarchy.”
