The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday responded to claims that Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, may boycott the September 21 governorship election, expressing its support for the decision.
In a statement by Kassim Afegbua, Director of Media for the Edo APC Campaign Council, the party described Obaseki’s demands for the removal of the State Commissioner of Police and the Resident Electoral Commissioner as “self-serving” and “insulting” to the people of Edo.
“We’ve received reports that Governor Obaseki is threatening to withdraw from the election unless certain officials are removed. His demands are unreasonable and reflect his attempts to influence the process to favor his chosen candidate, Asue Ighodalo,” the statement read.
Afegbua emphasized that the people of Edo have full confidence in the electoral and security officials in charge, commending their efforts to ensure a fair election. He further accused Obaseki of trying to “write new rules” in a desperate attempt to maintain influence.
Afegbua also praised the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for disbanding the Edo Security Network, which the APC claimed was functioning as a rogue force.
In response, Crusoe Osagie, Special Adviser on Media Projects to Governor Obaseki, denied that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had boycotted the election, instead clarifying that the party refused to sign the Peace Accord until certain conditions for a fair contest were met.
“It is baffling that Afegbua would misinterpret our refusal to sign the Peace Accord as a boycott,” Osagie said. He accused the APC of colluding with the police to influence the election outcome and vowed that the people of Edo would resist any manipulation on election day.
The clash between the two parties has intensified in the run-up to the September 21 poll, with both sides accusing each other of attempting to skew the election in their favor.
