Former Deputy Whip of the House of Representatives, Pally Iriase has accused Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of unleashing mayhem and violence on members of the opposing All Progressives Congress (APC) in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State ahead of the September 19 governorship election.
Iriase alleged that the governor and his agents led by the Chairman of Owan East Local Government on Monday embarked on violent acts of bringandage and intimidation to scuttle the scheduled ward to ward rallies of the APC in the council area.
“At Ihievbe the chairman led hooligans to destroy the podium, chairs and canopies at the premises. APC leaders in the area had avoided public school fields and paid for the foreground of the Catholic church as venue, yet Obaseki’s agents went on the orgy of destruction in that church premises.
“At Otuo, APC sought to use the same primary school field that Gov. Obaseki and the PDP used for their rally over a week ago, but the governor’s hooligans led by the council chairman came to disrupt preparations, chanting war songs.
“At Arokho, the same gang of hoodlums chased away the workers preparing the podium in the same school field used by Obaseki and the PDP barely a week ago.
“These acts of violence, intimidation and provocation are being perpetrated by Gov. Obaseki because he knows that his lies and press propaganda have failed and the people have rejected him for non- performance,” he declared.
Iriase therefore, appealed to the security agencies to help Edo State and indeed, Nigeria to maintain democratic values before and during the election.
