… urges APC to wait for September 19 to test popularity
The Forum for Progressive Governance and Accountability, an Edo-based political pressure group, has condemned in strong terms, the failed invasion of the Assembly Complex at Ring Road, Benin City, by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, on the orders of leaders of the All Progressives Congress in the state.
Secretary of the group, Ohunyon Festus Egbenososa, in a statement, said the failed invasion was an attempt by the party to take over government through the back door, urging the leadership of the party in the state to wait till September 19, 2020 to test the popularity of its candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, at the poll.
The forum noted, “September 19, 2020, the day set aside by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for Edo people to choose who governs them in the next four years is just six weeks, two days away from today, Thursday, August 06, 2020.
“Instead of the All Progressives Congress to go into the streets of Edo State to market their unsalable and already disfigured candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who is being tried for N700 million fraud, the party is plotting to illegally and violently take over control of the state’s Assembly in order to impeach the incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki, against the wishes of the majority of Edo people who are direct beneficiaries of the governor’s transformational strides.”
Egbenososa added, “The failed invasion of the Assembly Complex at Ring Road, Benin City, by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad on the orders of leaders of the APC is only an affirmation that the party and its candidate cannot win the governorship election in a fair contest and have resorted to illegal and violent means to topple the legislature and cause crisis in Edo State.
“This despicable act is not only condemnable but an assault on the sensitivity of Edo people. The APC must wait for September 19, 2020 to test the popularity of their Machiavellian candidate, who Edo people have always rejected and will continue to reject.
“The issues have become clearer; the governor is being fought by enemies of the state because he refused to share the patrimony and resources of Edo State amongst a predatory group of godfathers and political thugs. Politics should be about people, not self; Edo people will not relent in resisting the antics of selfish politicians who are hellbent on further plundering the fortunes of the state.”
“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and heads of other security agencies to rein in Comr. Adams Oshiomhole, Ize-Iyamu and the APC in Edo State to avert this rape of democracy and heinous ploy to subvert the will of the majority of Edo people”, the group added.
