Oshiomhole accuses PDP of recruiting thugs •APC, Oshiomhole are apprehensive —PDP

AHEAD of the September 10 Edo State governorship election, verbal fireworks between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have started as Governor Adams Oshiomhole, on Wednesday, accused his Delta State counterpart, Ifeanyi Okowa, of recruiting thugs and hooligans from Delta State to register as voters in communities sharing border with Edo State.

Governor Oshiomhole, through his Commissioner for Information, Prince Kassim Afegbua, alleged that 40 political thugs have been dispatched to each of the border villages with the aim of registering them as voters before engaging their services to perpetrate violence during the September 10 election.

In the signed statement, Afegbua said “we wish to place the security agencies on notice of this untoward intention of the Delta State government with their Edo PDP collaborators to cause a breach of security in Edo State.

“The fact that our people are generally known to be peace-loving should not be misconstrued as a sign of weakness, it is just to make the point that we believe wholesomely that democracy is a game of contestation of ideas and not one of contestation with guns and bullets.

“We have put our people on notice to keep an eagle eye on their environment and resist any infiltration or attempt to undermine the peace and security of the state.

However, PDP said that Governor Oshiomhole had concluded plans to register northerners in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps as well as others transported from Kogi and Kano states to boost his party’s dwindling political fortune.

In the reaction signed by the state Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, the PDP said Governor Oshiomhole was up to a sinister move and that Edo people would not fall for his deceit and lies as they are prepared to vote his party out in the September 10 election.

“There is no truth in the allegation of Governor Oshiomhole and it actually tells more of the apprehension APC and Governor Oshiomhole is feeling as an inevitable rejection and defeat stare them in the face.”