By Abiola Olawale
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed to stand against any alleged attempt to intimidate its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, and their supporters as the forthcoming September 21 governorship election approaches.
The party made this call at its mega rally to round up campaigns ahead of next Saturday’s governorship election.
Present at the mega rally, which was held at Garrick Memorial Secondary School in Benin City, were the Acting National Chairman of the party, Ambassador Ilia Damagum, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun state( popularly known as Damcing Governor), Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa state, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, among others.
Also present were the party’s Chairman, the Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Adolphus Wabara, the chairman of the PDP governor’s forum and the governor of Bauchi, Bala Muhammed.
Damagum, in his address, declared that the election would be a test of the country’s democracy and vowed that they would not be intimidated.
He said: “You have to kill or arrest all of us if you have to take this state.
“You may have gangs but we have God. To INEC, we don’t want that midnight result announcement. It is not a threat but we will defend our votes with our blood.”
On his part, Obaseki described the governorship election as an “existential threat”, adding, “With all the achievements we have recorded in Edo, we do not want to go back to the dark old days; if they take this state, we will die.”
The party’s Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Adolphus Wabara, urged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, not to announce the results of the election until he is sure.
He further urged the INEC boss to correct the wrongs of the 2023 general elections and go on a peaceful retirement.
