The Edo chapter of the People Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress are at loggerheads over allegations of vote-buying in next Saturday’s local government election.
In a press statement on Saturday, the chairman of the Edo PDP, Tony Aziegbemi, raised alarm over a plot by the APC and a director of the Niger Delta Development Commission to rig and buy votes during the election with N150 million.
He said, “We are once again drawing the attention of the world and all lovers of democracy to the glaring fact that the APC is attempting to rig the Local Government elections scheduled for Saturday, September 2, 2023, by mobilising N150 million from the Niger Delta Development Commission to execute their evil plan to buy votes and rig the elections.
“It is regrettable and disturbing that at a time when Edo people are suffering as a result of the criminally neglected federal roads and the biting economic hardship supervised by the APC-led Federal Government, the party is deploying NDDC’s resources to subvert the will of Edo People.”
In response, APC assistant publicity Secretary, Ofure Osehobo, in a statement, said the party is ashamed over the spurious allegations made by the beleaguered factional Chairman of the PDP, Tony Aziegbemi, regarding a plot to rig and buy votes in the upcoming Local Government elections using N150 million from the NDDC.
He added, “These allegations are baseless and unfounded, but coming from a decapitated body, it is understandable. The Edo PDP is on life support. Nevertheless, the Edo APC is committed to a free and fair election process, and we believe in the power of our people to choose the next crop of Local government leaders without any external interference or manipulation.”
Also speaking at the Edo South APC stakeholders meeting on Friday, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (retd.), director of administration and finance in NDDC, described the PDP allegation as spurious, noting that there was no proof of NDDC involvement in the election.
