Tony Osauzo, Benin
The Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State and ex-Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon. Pally Iriase, yesterday, raised the alarm over acts of brigandage and intimidation allegedly masterminded by the state government and its agents to scuttle the ward to ward rallies of the party scheduled for yesterday in the local government.
Iriase who is also the Secretary to State All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council called on security agencies to help Edo State and indeed Nigeria to maintain democratic values during the forthcoming September 19 governorship election in the state.
He specifically accused Governor Godwin Obaseki and his agents led by chairman of Owan East local government area, Mr. Andrew Osigwe, who he said had since Monday embarked on violent acts designed to puncture the planned ward rallies in the mapped out wards of the local government area.
He alleged that the chairman of the Council Mr. Andrew Osigwe led hoodlums to destroy the APC campaign podium, chairs and canopies meant for political rally at Ihievbie community.
“APC leaders in the area had avoided public school fields and paid for the foreground of the Catholic Church as venue, yet Obaseki’s agents went on the orgy of destructions in that church premises.
“The Governor and his agents led by the Council Chairman of Owan East Local Government Council has since yesterday (Monday) embarked on violent acts of bringandage and intimidation to scuttle the scheduled ward to ward rallies in Owan East Local Government Area today,(yestersday).
“At Ihievbe the Chairman led hoolumss to destroy the podium, the chairs and canopies at the premises. APC Leaders in the area had avoided public school fields and paid for the foreground of the Catholic Church as venue, yet Obaseki’s agents went on the orgy of destruction in that church premises.
“At Otuo, APC sought to use the same primary school field that Governor Obaseki and the PDP used for their rally over a week ago but the Governor’s alleged hoodlums led by the Council Chairman came to disrupt preparations, chanting war songs in the process.
“Also, at Arokho, the same gang of hoodlums chased away the workers preparing campaign podium in the same school field used by Obaseki and the PDP barely a week ago.
“These acts of violence, intimidation and provocation are allegedly being perpetrated by Gov Obaseki because he knows that his lies and press propaganda have failed and the people have rejected him for non-performance.
“We are hereby making a clarion call to the security agencies to help Edo State and indeed Nigeria to maintain democratic values during this election”, Iriase said.
Reacting to the allegation, the Owan East Council Chairman, Mr. Andrew Osigwe, said both Governor Obaseki and himself are law abiding citizens of the state and the country and therefore cannot be involved in anything violence, stressing they should make room for a peaceful, free and fair governorship polls in the state.
“My governor and I are law abiding citizens, we will never do such a thing even when they came to Afuze and they did their local government rally, they did not apply for the stadium yet I allowed them use it. Why didn’t I send people to go and scatter the event? If they have internal crisis among themselves they should go and sort it out. They should stop calling Godwin Obaseki and myself into it. Confirm what I just told you now; when they came, the public field that they used they did not apply for it but I allowed them use it. I only told them to go and pay five thousand naira on the very day they came for the rally.
“What do I know about that (destruction of campaign podium, chairs and canopies)? I don’t know anything about that, I am not even there right now. Tell them not to put my name in connection with anything that is violent. The vice chairman that they removed was he not the one that gave him the gun with which they used to come and scatter the council after the Vice chairman was impeached. Is he that is violent or Pally Iriase that is violent?
“Everything we have done throughout the campaigns in this election is to maintain peace; we have never carried out any act of aggression. Let them leave me alone, they should mobilize their people, let me mobilize my people too. That is what election is supposed to be”, Osigwe said.