Politics

Akoko-Edo Viral Video Intended To Discredit My Reputation – Akpatason

Published

3 years ago

July 6, 2021

Editor

The Majority Leader of the Federal House of Representatives, Rt Hon Peter Akpatason Tuesday said the viral video by one Laba Lawani at the site of an on-going construction of a 200 metres link road at his constituency in Igarra, Akoko-Edo Local Government of Edo State was intended to malign and discredit his reputation.

The angry man seen in the video didn’t mention name but rained curses on politicians and alleged in the video that the road falls short of standard and of poor quality.

A visible signboard along the on-going construction indicated that it is undertaken by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, constructed by Royal Jeff Nigeria Ltd and sponsored by Rt Hon Peter Akpatason, the Deputy Majority Leader of Federal House of Representatives.

The lawmker Representing the Constituency , Hon Peter Akpatason when contacted for reaction said the portion of the video presented was complete falsehood aimed to hoodwink the people for political reasons.

He urged the contractors to report the matter to the police against the said Laba for causing damage to an on-going construction.

Akpatason explained: “That job was awarded by the department of rural development by the ministry of Agriculture to a contractor and was given a clear deal of quantity. The boy in question in the viral video showed two major portions, one the road where you have a drainage leading to a slope, that portion is not part of his job.

“His community people pleaded with him to do that portion for them don’t forget that that portion is not in the bill of quantity. Secondly the boy picked some asphalt on the ground and said that the asphalt was giving way which is also the shoulder of the road, not the road itself and that asphalt is burnt asphalt (waste material ).

“He did not at any point show the road or the real drainage, so it is a deliberate attempt to malign my person, the falsehood he presented was very annoying and if you look at where he went to fetched the cement in that drainage you will see that was the fresh work the people were doing on hand, it is not an old job, you can even see clearing from that video that one of them holding shovel.

“In fact he went there to cause damage to an on-going job and I have told them that the contractor should go to the police to report that case, that is wilful damage to an on-going construction work. That video is sufficient to prosecute him. Everything that he did was political.”

Meanwhile the man who made the viral video, Laba Lawani has raised the alarm that he has been threatened by some persons since he made the video.

The Civil Engineer who wrote this on his Facebook timeline said someone wrote to him and reminded him of how social media has sent some persons to their early grave.

“I had no bad intentions against anyone when I did the video. But in the last 48 hours, I have received calls that posses threat to my life.

“I may be assassinated if God so pleases but my joy in great beyond would be that I have left a message that is capable of changing the maynarrative.

“I have left a message that other courageous youths can emulate to strengthen our democracy,” he said

Politics

JUST IN: Ex-PDP Deputy National Chair, Oyedokun Defects To APC

Published

5 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Editor

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, has resigned his membership of the party and announced defection to the All Progressives Congress.

Oyedokun, a notable personality within the political circle in Osun State and beyond, said he decided to dump the PDP after consultation with his loyalists.

He said he would be joining APC, where his experience, efforts, and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.

His resignation letter addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP through the ward, local government and state chairmen of the party obtained late Thursday further read, “As a functional member and leader of PDP (Ward 13, Jagun/ Osi-Bale Ode, Odo-Otin South Local Government, Osun State,) whose high electoral productivity and value have been credibly and positively acknowledged in my ward, across the local council, state and country-wide for the enhancement of the fortune of the PDP, I have the honour (though with pain) in announcing the renunciation of my membership of the party on principle, having observed that the ideals of we, founding members, had been sorely contaminated.

“In taking this step which is not even without due consultation with my teaming loyalists in the PDP, I have consequently decided to shift my allegiance to the All Progressives Congress (APC) where I believe my experience, efforts and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.”

Oyedokun’s defection to the APC is coming at the time the aspirant he supported during the 2022 Osun governorship primary of PDP, Mr Dotun Babayemi is also moving to the national ruling party.

Osun APC said on Wednesday that Babayemi and his supporters would be dumping PDP and joining the party at a rally scheduled to be held in Osogbo on Friday.
PUNCH

Politics

Poll: APC Has No Sellable Candidate, Nothing To Campaign On – Edo Govt

Published

3 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

The Edo State Government claimed on Monday that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has no credible candidate for the September 21 governorship election.

This was an assertion made by the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, at a press conference in Benin City.

Nehikhare also alleged that the party is using lies and propaganda as its campaign strategy.

According to him: “The only APC strategy for the governorship election is to resort to lies and propaganda. When a party takes lies and propaganda as an election strategy, it means it has nothing to offer the people. The party lacks people with character, capacity, and intellect.”

The commissioner who took journalists through a screened shot WhatsApp chat said: “What we have here is the official APC WhatsApp platform, their own people screenshot their discussion. One of them who has a conscience asks, is this the only thing we have?”

Nehikhare, who said APC is ashamed to campaign for its candidate, noted that, as of today, nobody had heard of what the party has for the state.

“All we heard is how they are going to help their paymaster, lies and propaganda that will not help the state,” he added.

He opined that lies and propaganda are not strategies the opposition party, like APC, can use to win the September 21 governorship election.

The commissioner, who warned against misinformation and fake news ahead of the governorship election, urged media practitioners to be neutral in matters concerning lies and propaganda.

He, however, noted that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration has a lot of achievements to market and sell its candidate for the election.

Politics

Defection: Edo Govt, Ex-PDP BoT Member, Idahosa In Verbal War

Published

3 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

Edo State government and a former member of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, Charles Idahosa, on Monday traded words over the latter defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Recall that Idahosa resigned
formally resigned who had last month resigned from PDP, rejoined the APC on Monday in Benin City.

Speaking during his formal presentation to the APC in Benin City, he noted that he left the party four years ago due to internal crisis.

Idahosa added that he dumped the PDP because of what he described as the “damning deeds of the Obaseki-led administration in the last four years”.

He took a swipe at Obaseki for saying that PDP would win the forthcoming September governorship election with 80 per cent of votes.

“I thank God, four years later we all are wiser now. Like the Secretary said, I was a founding member of ACD, ACN and APC. The damage we did four years ago, the APC never remained the same.

“But I am glad we are back to the family. I was nominated to the Board of the Railway when I was in the APC. When I moved to the PDP, I wrote to resign my membership but it was rejected and showed my wide acceptance.

“At 71, I am not here to contest position with anybody, I am here to work. I want to urge APC to keep their eyes on the ball. It is not over until it is over.”

While lambasting Governor Obaseki for his comment that those leaving PDP have been given money, he noted that his greatest regret was not allowing the governor to resign after his first four years in office.

“When he came to beg me like a weather beaten chicken, how much did he give to me? Anytime he goes religious gathering he would say those leaving PDP have been given money.

“He came to me three times in my house to say he wants to resign, that he was tired of being governor but I appealed to him, telling him it was not about him but Benin interest.”

But in a swift reaction, the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare alleged that Idahosa was never a PDP member.

Nehikhare noted that Idahosa was also never a BOT member of the party, because the party in the state rejected his nomination.

He alleged that it was as a result of the rejection that he found his way back to APC.

“I heard that he claimed to be a member of BOT of PDP but I want to challenge him to tell us when he was sworn in as a member of PDP BOT. He was not a fit and proper person. Even though he was nominated he was shunned by the party.

“It was this that drove him back to APC which he never left in the first place. He was holding on to the board appointment which was offered him while in APC prior to 2020 governorship election.

“He has reached the end of his political career. He has nothing to offer any political party or any group he joins because he believes in bread and butter politics,” Nehikhare said.