A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Edo State, Prince Emmanuel Odigie, has raised the alarm over alleged plans by the Presidency to rig the forthcoming governorship election in the State in favour of the APC candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
He made the disclosure while speaking as a guest on the ‘The Morning Show’ program of Arise News Channel on Thursday, August 15, 2024.
Prince Odigie, who served as a Deputy Director General in the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council and currently member of the APC integrity group in Edo State, revealed that some forces in the Presidency including Vice President, Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Chief of Staff to President Tinubu, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, have perfected plans with some notable APC leaders in Edo State to rig the forthcoming September 21 Governorship Election while President Tinubu will be on a disguised trip out of the country.
The APC chieftain further alleged that there were plans by the APC-led federal government to deploy security agencies to intimidate voters and pave way for manipulation of the election outcome.
“There is a plan by the APC and we know it. The Integrity group members are always in every meeting they hold.. There’s a plan to use the vice President, Senate President and Femi Gbajabiamila to rig the election while the president will go on holidays. There is also a plan to use the police and DSS to intimidate the people, we know all these things,” he stated
He warned that Edo people in diaspora have also lodged petitions in various international agencies cautioning against the planned rigging by APC, adding that President Tinubu must be careful not to allow some forces within the presidency to subvert the collective will of Edo people.
Responding to questions over his alleged anti-party activities following his public show of support to the PDP governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, Prince Odigie insisted that he remains a bona fide member of the APC and loyal supporter of President Tinubu but he was supporting Ighodalo to be governor of Edo State because of his proven track record and desire to see Edo grow.
“Asue Ighodalo is an international brand. Edo is blessed to have such a man. He left all his jobs and offered himself to serve the people, yet some politicians wanted to truncate the opportunity for Edo to grow. In 2016, Comrade Oshiomhole told us it was the blueprint that Obaseki and Asue Ighodalo gave him that he used to increase IGR in Edo from N600m to about N3billion,” Odigie disclosed.
He also criticised the former Edo State governor and incumbent Senator representing Edo North Senatorial district, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, for coming on TV to lie about a court judgement that never existed in order to mislead the public. He also took the Senator to the cleaners for supporting APC governorship candidate, Monday Okpebholo, whom he described as a man that lacks the knowledge and experience to be governor of Edo State.
“Adams Oshiomhole came and talked about a judgement that never existed on TV. Oshiomhole should wake up and smell the coffee. Edo people do not believe in him anymore. His days are over and he should allow a free and fair election,” he said.
He further stated that, “In 2023, Oshiomhole made himself the face of the APC campaign in Edo State and we lost woefully to the extent that we couldn’t even give Asiwaju Bola Tinubu 25% of votes cast. We also lost the House of Assembly elections to PDP. Today, he has also made himself the face of the Governorship Campaigns in Edo State and APC’s defeat is imminent.”
Prince Odigie described thd Edo APC governorship candidate Okpebholo as a man who cannot read a balanced sheet and challenged him to appear before any TV station to speak to Edo people.