* Calls on President Buhari and International Community to prevail on APC to stop the needless violence.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Campaign Council for Edo State Governorship Election has condemned the illegal invasion of Edo State House of Assembly by political thugs of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt today, the Chairman of the Campaign Council and Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, also described the purported impeachment of the legitimately elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly as null and void.
“An invalid assemblage of absentee Lawmakers-elect with no legitimate claims to the membership of the House of Assembly cannot lawfully convene in the Ugbowu private residence of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the APC Governorship candidate, to effect a change of leadership in the Edo State House of Assembly.
“Consequently, the purported impeachment of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker is a mere charade, completely a futile act that exists only in the imagination of the evil perpetrators and their co-travelers.
“It is now clear to all discerning minds that what is playing out in Edo State is an orchestrated script by the sinking opposition APC to intimidate the PDP and illegally impeach its candidate, Governor Godwin Obaseki, having seen clearly that they cannot win the September 19, 2020 election without any miracle.
“We therefore call on President Muhammadu Buhari and the International Community to prevail on the APC to stop the needless violence, play the game by the rules and allow the people of Edo State to freely elect their Governor”, he stated.
Governor Wike said PDP had raised the alarm that the APC is not ready for a free and fair contest and would use violence with the backing of federal might to rig and claim unmerited victory.
He warned that ours is a fragile democracy and the warlike approach of the APC to the Edo election poses a very serious threat to the survival of democracy in Nigeria.
According to him, Nigerians should therefore hold the APC and its candidate responsible if there is a breakdown of law and order in Edo State.
Governor Wike added that the PDP would resist every attempt to unlawfully remove Governor Obaseki from office or rig the September 19, 2020 Governorship Election.
Paulinus Nsirim
Commissioner for Information and Communications
August 7, 2020.
