Edo Gubernatorials: pdp, Eze-Iyamu Planning To Unleash Violence........ Obaseki

The Godwin Obaseki Campaign Organisation has raised the alarm that the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate in the September 10, 2016 governorship election in the state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, are planning to unleash violence in the state.

The campaign organisation in a statement on Monday said a planned protest scheduled for today (Monday) in Benin City is aimed at causing unrest.

It further alleged that the violence had been scheduled for before, during and after the election.

The statement reads in full: “The attention of the Godwin Obaseki Campaign Organisation (GOCO), has been drawn to a planned demonstration by a faceless group going by the name of “Redemption Group” in conjunction with the Ize-Iyamu campaign group of the Peoples Democratic Party.

“We wish to alert the members of the general public and the security agents on the cowardly plan of the Peoples Democratic Party, its candidate and their agents provocateurs to cause mayhem before, during and after the elections.

“Our candidate, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and our teeming supporters have maintained peaceful campaign, despite physical attacks, harassment and intimidation from the opposition; insisting that election and political office is not a do-or-die matter.

“And just last week, when we got knowledge of the planned violence by the opposition, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, in a published statement, charged his fellow contestants from other political parties in the forthcoming governorship election to keep the peace before, during and even after the Saturday election.

“Quoting Julius Ceaser, Obaseki said that: “cowards die many times before their death, the sponsored protest slated for Monday is an act of cowardice intended to blackmail the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), taunt the police and other law enforcement agents, and intimidate the Edo voters

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“We see the arranged protest by paid agents of PDP and Iyamu as the last act by a wobbling candidate and his divided party who stare imminent defeat clearly in the face,” Obaseki added.

“Obaseki, a politician who is widely regarded as a man of peace, emphasized that peace was very crucial to the conduct of a free and fair election in any clime and therefore enjoined his fellow contestants to maintain the peace in the interest of all stakeholders.

“The APC candidate also reminded his rivals that Edo State was bigger than any or all of them, urging them not to do anything that could jeopardize the peace and progress of the state.

“He noted that no election was worth dying for and therefore admonished his fellow contestants not to make the coming governorship election in Edo State a “do-or-die” affair.

“Obaseki further counselled his rivals to instruct their followers and supporters not to engage in acts capable of distrupting the peace of Edo State which, he noted, was widely regarded as the most peaceful state in the usually volalite South-South geo-political zone.

“Election will come and go, but Edo State would remain forever,” Obaseki stressed, hinting however that he was certain to win theSeptember 10 election judging by the immense goodwill he and his party, the APC have garnered before and during the campaign.

“Edo people have vowed never to go back into the dark era of PDP. Our people should be allowed to freely expressed their choice for governor on Saturday. It is their fundamental and inalienable right provided for by the Nigerian constitution and expressly stated in the Article 21 of the United Nations Universal Declarations on Human Rights (UDHR) of 1948.”

Today.ng