BENIN – The Edo state government says it has uncovered massive production of masks and police uniforms by the agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to veil their thugs who they plan to deploy to disrupt voting processes in units and wards where they know they do not stand a chance of victory.
Chris Osa Nehikhare, Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, who disclosed this at a press conference on Sunday said, only recently, a chieftain of the APC wore one of those uniforms and the police even presented a defense for such wanton display of impersonation.
“We have also uncovered plans by the House of Representative member representing Ovia Constituency who has engaged about 200 militants for the purpose of disrupting election materials and electoral officials in the riverine axis of the State beginning from Ologbo, Nikorogha, all the way to Siluko.
“We understand that these militants have already been ferried into the State and lodged into various hotels and this intimidation tactic is irresponsible and most reprehensible.
“We have also uncovered plans to redeploy all the security officials attached to the Edo State Governor, His Excellency Governor Godwin Obaseki, in order to leave him without protection and render him vulnerable as we head into the election as well as on election day”
“We are also aware of plans that have already been concluded by Senator Adams Oshiomhole to engage the Commander of Mopol 60 and his men who have been engaged to provide shield in the polling units around Senator Oshiomhole’s home in Iyamho in order to allow the senator and his supporters take the ballot paper and all election materials into his premises and thumbprint all the ballot papers for APC, leaving other parties with no chances of getting fair votes”
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“In the last elections, we gave this information but it was ignored. The BVAS report validated our report as 210 people were accredited but over 1000 votes were recorded.
“Having confirmed that they cannot win in Okpella, Lampese, Fugar, Ibillo, and Agenebode, the APC has concluded plans to use thugs veiled in those masks and police uniforms which they produced to disrupt electoral process and intimidate voters in those areas”
The Commissioner also alleged that in Egor Local Government Area, the APC has gathered thugs in the home of one of the party chieftains as well as other houses in the neighborhood under the shield of the Textile Mill Police Station in order to disrupt the voting process in Egor Local Government
“We are by this press conference calling on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to order the security agencies, especially the police to stop the attacks on unarmed and harmless Edo people and Nigerians who have done nothing wrong except that they want a free, fair and credible election so that they can vote for the candidate of their choice
“We are calling on the International Community, Embassies of the United States, United Kingdome and the European Union as well as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) to prevail on President Tinubu so that the electorate in Edo can cast their votes in favour of whoever they believe is better to lead their State for the next four years”.
“We are bringing these information
to the notice of the general public as well as calling on the security agencies to act swiftly to arrest or dislodge these thugs and plans”, he declared.
