Ondo APC, PDP clash over comment on Edo poll

The Lucky Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation Foot Soldiers Independent Council has accused the Peoples Democratic Party of planning to cause violence before the governorship election, coming up on November 16.

But the opposition party dismissed the claim as untrue, saying its warning against rigging could not be interpreted as a plot to unleash violence.

The group,  in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Kayode Fasua, accused the Ondo PDP of being too desperate for power and resorting to coercion and violence.

 “While it is within the right of the PDP handlers in Ondo State to sulk over the loss of their party in Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State, it is, however, absurd and ridiculous that the party in Ondo State could be contemplating war ahead of a governorship election that is still two months away.

“The expression issued by the PDP that ‘we thus sound a note of warning to those whose trade is the compromise of ballot that danger looms if they seek to tamper with our votes’, deserves to be investigated. That statement is not only preposterous but a clear signal that the PDP in Ondo State is plotting to unleash crises in its desperation for victory.

“Not a few people across the state have taken cognisance of how the PDP in Ondo State gambols around with thugs brandishing various weapons in the course of their campaigns, apparently hoping to sail through to victory without any news on what they intend for the transformation of our dear state. But as for Governor Aiyedatiwa, he has been going around supervising infrastructural projects and implementing human empowerment programmes, which have delayed the take-off of his campaigns.  Certainly, the discerning and wise members of the public won’t fritter away a golden opportunity to stick to a performing governor, and go cast their votes for apparent brigands and joy killers.”

However, in a reaction, the Director of Media of PDP Campaign Organisation, Mr Ayo Fadaka, denied the allegations, saying the PDP had always being a peaceful political party.

He said the PDP,  in its previous statement, only warned the ruling party not to rig the forthcoming poll.

Fadaka stated, “We are not violence propelled, we are very civil, but our civility is not an act weakness. In our statement,  that is now a cause of worry for the APC, particularly Governor Aiyedatiwa himself, we warned against rigging the next election, saying it is a sure recipe for a crisis. The fact of the matter is that rigging is stealing, therefore, in itself a violent action and equally a corporate insult to our franchise, and we, as a people who don’t tolerate nonsense, will react.

“We are merely pleading with the APC not to toy with our electoral desires and goal as will be expressed on November 16th; that is not too much to ask for in any case.  We are still begging them to play by the rules. This is because for every action, there will be a reaction and this is dialectical, let Aiyedatiwa and his people work to win by honest means, which they know will not give them victory.

“They must perish their schemes for rigging as it will certainly backfire because Ondo State people are determined to put an end to the many crises the APC has introduced into their lives. They will react, and not necessarily us. This fact they already know because none of them dare wear Tinubu’s branded cap to any filling station or market across the state and come back unmolested by the people who are already frustrated and impoverished by their policies, so they must not push their luck far at all.”