From Tony Osauzo, Benin

Allegation and counter allegation of plot to manipulate next Saturday supplementary elections in parts of Edo State has pitched the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) against average each other in State.

The APC House of Assembly candidate for Ovia South West constituency, Hon Sunday Aghedo, yesterday, raised the alarm that the two Electoral Officers (EOs) deployed to conduct the supplementary election for the area have been allegedly compromised by Edo State Government with the sum of N5 million each.

Aghedo, in a press statement, said Obaseki has shown his desperation to ensure that his party wins the constituency by every means possible.

“We have cried out severally on the unwholesome activities of the Governor to ensure that the will of the people is subverted and now he has come again by giving each of the EO N5 million to deliver the PDP candidate who presently occupies distance second position after the March 18 poll.

“Just on Wednesday, the same Governor deployed a security team to Nikhorogha with the sole aim of keeping our strong supporters out of circulation on Saturday”, he alleged.

The state chairman of the PDP, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, also in a statement, accused the APC of planning to unleash mayhem during Saturday’s run-offs in the state and called on the security agencies to be alert.

“Reports across the State suggest that the APC is gathering yet another set of evil to unleash mayhem come April 15th 2023, which has been slated for the supplementary elections in the remaining three seats at the State House of Assembly, and one House of Representatives seat, which where erstwhile declared inconcluse by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“Their desperation to win more seats at the State House of Assembly have been observed and witnessed by some of their party faithful who have revealed their orchestrated plans to deploy thugs to perpetrate violence and intimidate voters in the State. In a twist of irony, they have also decided to promote all manner of falsehood against the PDP and Governor Godwin Obaseki, like we have read on the social media lately; a disinformation device of a thief being the first to call the true owner a thief in order to mislead the judge”.

Aziegbemi also alleged that the APC plans to import thugs from some states in the South-West to cause a crisis and disrupt the elections.