• mocks PDP, say Party jittery
By Kingsley Abavo (managing editor)
On Saturday, 26 August, 2023 APC, Edo South leaders and candidates for the September 2, Local Government Council election, gathered to evaluate their level of preparedness, strategize and tie all loose ends.
The gathering was at the instance of a foremost leader of the Party and director, finance and administration, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Gen. Charles Arhiavbere retd. in his private compound in Benin, the State Capital.
In unison, the Party boasted of its preparedness for the Council election holding across the 192 political Wards in the State.
Presenting their report; all the APC Chairmen in the seven local Government Council Area in the zone, one after the other, said they have worked hard and done all that was required in terms of sensitisation of the electorate, campaign for support and votes to expect good outing for their candidates.
State scribe of the Party, Lawrence Okah urging everyone to ignore the rumour of any court ruling against the election, declared "... it is not true; we are going for the election on Saturday!"
Speaking to journalists, Arhiavbere stated: "You know the election is just a week away, so we are gathered to take stock of programs, campaigns, and evaluate how prepared we are and ensure that the normal Party fraternity is enhanced."
His response to PDP allegation of APC proposed vote buying with the sum of N150bn
"What evidence do they have? There is nothing like that. They are already jittery that APC has come to take charge of the State. I think they are already getting the feeler; it has nothing to do with the NDDC.
"All they are seeing; there seems to be an underground movement to see that Saturday election is overwhelmingly won by the APC and that is where we are; we are not going to change. There will be rumours and we are ready to debunk them.
Fears the Obaseki led Government would; as had been the tradition about local Government Council election nationwide, write the result in favour of his Party; the PDP from Osadebay Avenue
The APC exhibiting confidence of being equal to the task through Arhiavbere, merely waves the assertion aside.
"Don't forget that we have a new President who is very keen to making sure that victory comes to his Party. We will make sure that we prepare the ground to make sure that we win.
"We cannot say that because PDP is the ruling Party in Edo State therefore; we go to sleep. We want to also struggle we take it by the votes on Saturday.
"We are sensitising the public, we are doing all the necessary rallies, campaigns and we are convincing the electorate that we are the Party to beat and that is where we are."
Reaction to the alleged Abuja court refusal to grant APC request to stop the election
"I have seen breaking news that something happened at the High Court in Abuja. But it has not stopped the election from taking place on Saturday because people may just get a different opinion and relax, and discover that there is election. We are prepared; even if the election is tomorrow, we are ready!"
Addressing the gathering, Arhiavbere urged: "let us be prepared for the action of the next few days; don't let anybody take us by surprise. If they say election is tomorrow, we are prepared."
This is as he asserts: "the APC in Edo State, we borrowed the Governor to the PDP. So we cannot call ourselves the opposition."
He enjoined members to put behind them performance of the Party in the last general election especially in the zone saying; there should be no blaming anyone.
Pointing out that he was already looking beyond the Saturday election, Arhiavbere emphasized the need for collaboration of efforts by all members as the outcome will prepare the Party for the bigger battle ahead; Edo 2024 Governorship election.
Also, State Chairman of APC, Col. David Imuse (rtd.), had earlier reacted to allegations of the PDP in a press statement by the Party’s State Assistant Publicity Secretary, Victor Osehobo.
According to Imuse; “Edo APC is ashamed over the spurious allegation made by the beleaguered factional Chairman of the PDP in the State, Tony Aziegbemi, regarding a plot to rig and buy votes in the upcoming local government election, using N150 million from NDDC.
“The allegation is baseless and unfounded, but coming from a decapitated body, it is understandable.
"The Edo PDP is on life support. Nevertheless, the Edo APC is committed to a free and fair election process, and we believe in the power of our people to choose the next crop of local government leaders, without any external interference or manipulation. But this is a far cry with the junta in Edo.
“The factional PDP chairman’s allegation is misleading and lacking in evidence. The NDDC operates independently, and has its own budget and priorities.
"Any insinuation that NDDC’s funds will be used for illegitimate purposes is a blatant attempt to tarnish the reputation of the Commission and the APC, but Aziegbemi cannot understand this.
“We also find it ironic that the Edo PDP whose leader, for want of a better label, Governor Godwin Obaseki, has already written the results of the election, with PDP candidates as chairmen and councillors across the 18 local Government areas.
“As a party of losers, the PDP has shamelessly gone round the State in a charade with its leader, Obaseki, parading projects and programmes that have suffered stillbirth since he took office."
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