…Obaseki Camp Denies
By Gbenga Abulude
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Media Campaign Council for Edo State governorship election has demanded an investigation into Governor Godwin Obaseki’s alleged arms importation, thugs’ escort and massive shootings during his re-election campaigns.
It berated the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate for the shootings at Obaseki’s rally in Igueben, saying the incident affirmed its previous allegation of Obaseki’s importation of guns and inclusion of buses full of armed thugs in his convoy.
PDP spokesman, Mr Chris Nehikhare, however, denied the allegation levelled by the APC media campaign council against, saying it was false.
The APC Media Campaign Council through its Chairman, Prince John Mayaki said, “According to multiple reports confirmed by residents in Igueben and hospital’s records, chaos broke out on August 19 at Igueben, near the home of a PDP chieftain, Chief Tom Ikimi (an indigene of Igueben), when armed thugs escorting Governor Obaseki on a campaign turned on one another in a wild shooting that sent at least one person to hospital, with a leg damaged by bullets.
“While confirming the shooting that left people scampering for safety, eyewitnesses said the thugs, sourced from neighbouring states and handed deadly firearms, secretly purchased by Edo governor, had maintained a fractious relationship, as some of them reportedly belong to rival cults.”
Ahead of the September 19 election date of the Edo Governorship poll, the PDP candidate, Obaseki and APC’s Ize-Iyamu have been at daggers drawn in a bid to outwit each another in strategies in the make or mar election.
