Ahead of the September 10 governorship election in Edo State, the Peoples Democratic Party has accused Governor Adams Oshiomhole of instigating the antigraft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, against its standard bearer for the poll, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. The PDP alleged that Governor Oshiomhole had been trying to intimidate its governorship candidate and the PDP in Edo State as a cam- paign strategy to ensure victory for the ruling APC.
The opposition party said that the Edo governor had no powers to dictate to the EFCC on who to arrest for alleged corruption, stressing that Oshiomohole had become nervous and unsettled by the fear of being defeated by the PDP candidate at the forthcoming poll.
The PDP, therefore, described as ridiculous the recent threat by the Edo governor to get Ize-Iyamu arrested before the governorship election.
PDP spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, in a statement in Abuja, asked when it had become the duty of Governor Oshiomhole to dictate to the EFCC how it should go about its job.
The party said, “We have observed in recent times the utterances of the Governor of Edo State during the APC’s gubernatorial campaigns ahead of the September 10, 2016 election in the state and we wish to remind the Governor that he should maintain the sanctity of his office as an executive Governor of the State, instead of directing the EFCC of who to arrest or prosecute.”
The PDP observed that Oshiomhole’s statement confirmed the belief amongst Nigerians that the anti-corruption war of the present administration was nothing but a partisan political agenda to intimidate, suppress and silence the opposition.
“Governor Adams Oshiomhole is desperate to hang on to power through his imposed stooge, despite the fact that he has lost the trust and confidence of the people of Edo State,” it added.
The party also deplored what it called the despicable and uncouth language used by the governor against the person of Ize-Iyamu, insisting that it was unbecoming of the holder of the office of the governor of a state.
“When a governor speaks like a garage boy, he is inviting the public to treat him as one. We call on the EFCC to demonstrate that it is not a lapdog of the APC and its leaders, by distancing itself from the unguided utterances of Governor Oshiomhole.
“They must show clearly that they do not take instructions from the powers that be, otherwise, the entire anti corruption war will lose all credibility,” it said.
The party called on the “All Progressives Congress government at both state and Federal levels to, at least for once, play by the rules.
“All the great works done by the PDP’s administrations to ensure the sanctity of the ballot box has been virtually destroyed by the APC administration.
“We are now in the era of inconclusive elections. We will not tolerate any harassment, intimidation, and oppression of our candidate in the Edo governorship election.
“We will also not allow the APC to destroy this democracy we have laboured for 16 good years to build and sustain.”
