The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has completed its campaign ahead of the September 19, 2020 election, after touring all the 192 wards of the state.
A statement by the party’s state Chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, said that since the approval and composition of the campaign council five weeks ago, presenting its governorship candidate, Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Phillip Shaibu, to the citizens of the state, has been an awesome experience for the party.
Mr Aziegbemi added that the love shown by the supporters of the party and its candidates has shown their preference ahead of the election.
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The PDP Chairman urged the security agencies to step up their efforts and ensure that the voters get a free, fair, credible, and peaceful election.
Read Full Statement:
We made it…
Members of the state work committee here present, gentlemen and ladies of the press. We give God Almighty, the omnipotent, all-powerful, all-knowing God, all the glory and praise for a successful ward to ward tour of the state. On behalf of the State Working Committee, I welcome you to this press conference.
You will recall that I approved the composition of the Edo state campaign council five weeks ago, with the sole mandate of taking our message of excellent performance and the need for continuity to all the 192 wards of the state. The campaign council immediately swung into action with our candidate HE Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki and his deputy, Comrade Phillip Shaibu, the king of the youths. It was an awesome experience. It was electrifying. Edo State citizens came out in their numbers to catch a glimpse of our candidate and to hear our message. We are indeed humbled by this show of love and support for our candidate. We promise we will not take this for granted.
We went about our campaign with peace and love. Unfortunately, we have to put it on record that the APC made feeble attempts to disrupt our campaigns. We have cataloged, as you can see on the board to my right, the senseless attacks on our party members and their properties. We challenge the APC, or any other party for that matter, to show such evidence of their members being attacked. Gentlemen and ladies of the press, it will amaze you to know that not one person has been arrested for these senseless attacks on our members. If not for the strong appeal from our Governor, HE Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, you can imagine what would have become of our state if retaliation was carried out by our members. Let me warn the APC – that our patience is not ELASTIC. I call on the Commissioner of Police, CP Johnson Kokumo, to rise up to the occasion. His efforts thus far leave much to be desired. I call on all the other security agencies to step up their efforts before the elections, especially on the day of the election, 19th of September 2020. They should justify the salaries they earn from taxpayers’ money.
On behalf of the State Working Committee and the entire membership of the PDP in Edo State, I thank His Excellency and our candidate, HE Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, his Deputy, Comrade Phillip Shaibu, in whom we have implicit confidence, the Chairman of the Campaign Council, Chief Dan Orbih, the Director-General, Osarodion Ogie, the Deputy Director-General, Gideon Ikhine, the Senatorial coordinators and their deputies, for discharging the assignments given to them by the party, most honourably and efficiently. We owe you a world of gratitude. We also, with a humble heart, thank our members and indeed Edo citizens, for trooping out in their hundreds of thousands to catch a glimpse of our candidate and to hear our message. We also thank the security agencies for their professionalism. We also thank all the drivers in our convoy, caterers, musicians, and everyone who took part one way or the other to make this five-week ward to ward tour a memorable one.
Edo people have clearly shown their preference for the PDP and its candidate during the forthcoming September 19th, 2020 election. From multiple opinion polls conducted by independent bodies and organizations, the PDP has the support of 80% of the electorate while all other parties have 20%. Flowing from the above, we hereby demand, in the strongest terms possible, that INEC and the security agencies carry out their statutory responsibilities based on the oath of office they swore to, which is to be NEUTRAL.
However, anyone who deviates from this sacred oath, which he or she willingly swore to, knows that we will ensure that the most extreme hand of the law is meted out to them. Please note that anyone who deprives any human being from constituting their fundamental human rights is just as bad as enslaving or killing them and as such do not deserve anything less from the law.
We call on the parents of all the ad-hoc staff that will be engaged in this election, to call their wards to order. Edo people deserve a free, fair, credible, and peaceful election, and nobody, whether in the security agencies or in INEC will be allowed to subvert the will of the people. We will follow the process from A to Z from multiple angles, and if you are caught doing the wrong thing, be assured that as a party that believes in and promotes the right for people to freely express their choice, we will be waiting and ensuring that law affects the fullest possible punishment.
Once again thank you so much for coming and I wish you a happy Sunday.
Dr. Tony Aziegbemi
Chairman PDP EDO STATE CHAPTER