The Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led state government of resorting to panic tactics following the alleged exposure of criminal plans involving the Edo Security Network (ESN) ahead of the upcoming elections.
In a statement issued in Benin, the state capital, the APC Campaign’s Media Director, Prince Kassim Afegbua, alleged that the ESN, established by Governor Godwin Obaseki, was being used to undermine the democratic process in Edo State before, during, and after the governorship election. Afegbua claimed that the 11,000-member armed group had been caught instructing its members to discreetly conceal their weapons from the scrutiny of the Nigeria Police and other security agencies.
Governor Obaseki swiftly dismissed these allegations, asserting that the APC’s claims were merely a reflection of the party’s anxiety over their impending defeat, especially after nominating what he described as “an unqualified and incompetent candidate” for the governorship.
Responding through his Special Adviser on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, Obaseki accused the APC of employing Machiavellian tactics to disrupt the electoral process. He described the APC’s statements as a failed attempt to mislead the public and divert attention from their own alleged plans to manipulate the upcoming gubernatorial election.
Afegbua had earlier suggested that the state government’s purported plans to rig the election violently had been exposed through three separate disclosures, including one from a WhatsApp group.
He said, “One of the voice notes directed members to hide their arms and ammunition for fear of arrest, while another stated that in the event of any arrest, there should be resistance.
“Yet, another indicated that should they mount roadblocks or stop-and- search operations, they should ensure that not less than five personnel are involved.
“We are calling on our members, stakeholders and members of the Public to continue their vigilance as September 21st draws near. We will continue to expose Governor Obaseki and his anointed godson on their plots to deny Edo people the right to elect their chosen candidate.
“Let them use code, sign language, “echo-Charlie” and other visuals, we will continue to intercept them and alert the public. September 21st election must be free, fair and credible to allow Edo people the opportunity to make their informed choices,” he said.
Reacting to this, Obaseki said, “Does anyone need answers to why the APC in Edo State has been relentless in their campaign of calumny against the State’s Security and Vigilante Network in the run-up to the gubernatorial elections and why they want to by all means discredit and disable the intelligence gathering scheme, which security agencies in the State have confirmed their role in combating crime and criminality, especially in the grassroots?
“They are jittery over their impending loss after presenting an unlettered and incompetent candidate for the office of a governor and have now resorted to machiavellian tactics to subvert the will of Edo people and have perfected these plans and now want to shift attention to other people so as to freely implement their evil plan.
“We call on the authorities to place their eyes on Afegbua and the APC because what they are accusing others of is exactly what they are planning to do themselves. This tactic of accusing others of their own devious plot is a strategy that the APC is well known for, and the people of Edo State are too wise to be fooled by vain subterfuge,” he stressed .
