The Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday said the allegation that the Vice President, Kashim Shettima and Senate President, Godswill Akpabio plans to rig the 2024 governorship election in Edo State by a chieftain of the party, Prince Emmanuel Odigie, is baseless.Odigie, a member of the Edo integrity Group, made this allegation in an interview on Arise Television on Thursday.He also alleged that part of the APC’s rigging plan also includes using the police to intimidate voters on the day of election.
He alleged that Shettima was going to work with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, while the president would be prevailed upon to take a holiday.He said, “There are plans by the All Progressives Congress to manipulate and rig the upcoming governorship election in Edo State, using the Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Senate President God’swill Akpabio and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, while the president takes a holiday.
Part of the APC’s rigging plan also includes using the police to intimidate voters on the day of election. We know their plans and we would reveal them at the appropriate time, we would begin to reel out proof. I am putting Edo above APC as a party.”
On Okpebholo’s candidacy, he said, “We cannot in the 21st century afford to have a man who cannot read a balance sheet as governor of Edo State, the intellectual hub of the South-South.
“If the office of the governor was a conventional job, would Monday Okpebholo be applying for the same job as Asue Ighodalo? This is a disservice and a problem we have in this country.
Reacting in a statement on Saturday, the Director of Publicity, APC Edo Governorship Campaign Council, Orobosa Omo-Ojo said that the APC the allegation was baseless and expressed concern about the inflammable and inciting words of Odigie in the interview.
The statement read, “The All Progressives Congress in Edo State, has reviewed the diatribes of the rabble rouser jobless Prince Emmanuel Odigie, whose known job experience can be told by victims of his trade.“Our party and indeed Nigerians are concerned about the highly inflammable and inciting words the said Odigie used in his interview with Arise Television on Thursday August 15, 2024, especially his call to President Bola Tinubu to be aware of call by people that the military should take over.“People are calling for the military and people are plotting how to truncate democracy, President Tinubu must be careful.” These were the exact words used by Odigie who from his activities so far, is obviously a security risk to our nation.
Nigerians are also concerned about the reckless heinous plan by Odigie and his group to discredit the yet to be held September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State.
“More worrisome is the allegation that the presidency has concluded plans to rig the election in favour of Senator Monday Okpebholo.
“Like a fly destined to follow a corpse into the grave, Odigie told his bewildered audience that, a so-called integrity group members were present in every meeting where these plans were held.
In the light of the danger that Mr. Emmanuel Odigie has become, the APC and indeed Nigerians are requesting for a thorough investigation of all his allegations – including those he made against the President and Commander in Chief of Nigerian Armed Forces, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the Vice President of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima; Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and the Inspector General of Police.
“This arrest and prosecution of Emmanuel Odigie will thwart whatever plans his integrity group has put in place to destabilise Nigeria.
“It will go a long way to also ensure the sanctity of the ballot box in Nigeria, including the September 21, 2024 Governorship Election in Edo State,” he added.
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