The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has alleged a high-level
conspiracy between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Police to
rig the September 28 governorship election in favour of the APC candidate,
Mr Godwin Obaseki.
The PDP, in a press release by its Media and Publicity Committee, said
that the Inspector General of Police, based on the request of Governor
Adams Oshiomhole, has deployed a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP),Ahmed
Bello, to lead the final onslaught to ensure the success of APC’s plan to
manipulate the election result.
It claimed that the governor had already mobilised DCP Ahmed with $170,000.
According to the PDP, “It has come to attention of the Edo State PDP that
the official conspiracy to rig the September 28 Edo State governorship
election in favour of the APC has assumed a most worrisome dimension for
the fact that the Nigerian Police Force that is supposed to provide
security, orderliness and ensure an atmosphere for free and fair election
is being compromised from the highest authority.
“We have it on good authority that based on the request of the governor,
Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the Inspector General of Police, has deployed to
Edo State, a hatchet man to lead the final onslaught against identified
leaders and members of the PDP who are considered a threat to the
manipulation plan of the APC.
“The officer so deployed is by name, Ahmed Bello, a Deputy Commissioner of
Police of the Mobile Police Unit. He has been given the brief of leading a
crack team of officers on the inglorious assignment.
“As a motivation for the special job, we have been reliably informed that
the DCP, Ahmed Bello was mobilized with $170,000 by the governor.”
The PDP stated further, “We are hereby using this medium to alert the
general public, including the International Community to the high level
conspiracy against the practice of Democracy in Nigeria and Edo State in
particular.
“We wish to emphasize that the desperation of the APC is a great threat to
peace of the State as the response to this attempt to frustrate the right
of the people to freely choose their leader cannot be predicted.
“The APC needs to be reminded that the democratic freedom which they have
so desperately opposed since they took over power at the federal level is
the condition that enabled them to be in control.
“No matter the level of intimidation and harassment, we enjoin our party
members to remain strong and Edo people to remain resolute to change the
change which has made life difficult to live.”