Politics

PCV Collection: Edo LP Raises Alarm Over Attack On Members, Fingers PDP

Published

1 year ago

January 8, 2023

Editor

The Edo State chapter of Labour Party, LP, has raised the alarm that its members and supporters who turned out to collect their Permanent Voter Card, PVC, are being intimidated and attacked across the state by thugs the party alleged sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

INFO DAILY had reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had raised similar alarm of disruption of collection of PVCs in some centres and intimidation of its staffs by thugs yesterday, Saturday, January 7.

The state Publicity Secretary of LP, Comrade Sam Uroupa, who confirmed the attack in a statement made available to INFO DAILY on Sunday, said the thugs invaded various collection centres, attacked LP members and supporters who were on queue to collect their PVCs and warned INEC staffs not to attend to anyone until their members (PDP) have all collected theirs.

Uroupa who said he also witness one the attacks and he consequently received the beating of his life, added that the thugs are not just attacking LP members, but also destroying billboards belonging to Labour Party candidates.

His statement reads in part: “Report reaching the Edo State Labour Party from some PVC collection centres says that thugs allegedly sponsored by PDP are attacking and preventing Labour Party members from collecting PVCs.

“According to the report, the thugs specifically warned the INEC officials that if their PDP members have not collected, no body else will be allowed to get their PVC.

“In ward 6 Ikpoba Okha LGA, some PDP thugs allegedly led by one Apostle by name invaded the PVC collection exercise and beat up the people when they observed that majority of those on the queue are Obedient members.

” It was suspected that these were the same people who carried out the attack on LP secretariat at Ugbekun ward 7 Ikpoba Okha LGA some time in December last year to forcefully take over the office.

“In ward 9 Ogheghe Health Center, Ikpoba Okha LGA, the situation was not different as the PDP thugs in the community distrupted the exercise chasing everybody, including the INEC staffs and made away with the PVCs to prevent LP members from collecting.

“Though it was reported that they later returned the PVCs but the exercise could not continue again as the INEC staffs were apprehensive of their own safety.

“Similarly, in Oghede ward 10 Ovia North East LGA, the LP chairman was attacked by PDP thugs and his cellphone was destroyed during the PVC distribution exercise. The same PDP leaders and their thugs succeeded in taking the INEC officials to an hotel where it was suspected that some PVCs were handed over.

“In Oluku ward 6 Ovia North East LGA, the ward chairman suffered the same fate as he was attacked by hoodlums suspected to be PDP thugs.

“At some other locations it was heavy gun shots to scare people away and cause panic.

“Because the PDP have seen the handwriting, they resorted to violence against members of our great party the LP. As we speak, at Egor, over 50 (fifty) mini campaign billboards of our House of Assembly candidate for Egor constituency, Hon. Derrick Uhunmwagho has been destroyed and taken away by the PDP hired thugs because they are afraid of going into the election with all our candidates,” the statement added.

The Publicity Secretary who said Labour Party and its teaming supporters would not be deterred by intimidation, adding that the party is determined to “deliver Nigeria from the evil grip of APC and PDP, we are not going to lose focus on our rescue mission.”

“Nigerians have suffered enough in the hands of these two parties, our economy is in shambles and security of lives and property is totally zero,” he added.

While calling on the security agents to intervene, Uroupa added: “We want to use this medium to appeal to well meaning Nigerians, the security agencies, all Edolites and the general public to please call the Edo State PDP to order.”

Efforts by INFO DAILY to reach the Publicity Secretary of PDP in the state proved abortive as his cellphone number was not going through.

Politics

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

Published

1 day 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

4 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

4 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.