By DADA AYOKHAI
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic party PDP is deeply concerned about an alleged plan to use the Police to arrest and detain key officers of the party ahead of the upcoming September 21 governorship election.
Hon Mathew Iduoriyekemwen, DG of the Asue/Ogie Campaign Council, made these revelations during a press conference in Benin, the Edo State capital.
According to the DG , Notable PDP leaders whose names made the list are Chief Odion Olaye, Chief Francis Inegbeneki, Chief B. Olukoga, Mr Festus Osaigbovo Dr Kelly Inedegbor, as well as the chairman of Esan North East, and others whose identities have yet to be confirmed.
In particular, he stated that the police IRT, a Unit in the office of the IGP, Force Headquarters, Abuja, headed by one DC Sanusi Muhammed, has become a willing tool in the hands of some the Edo politicians.
“These Policemen involved in this harassment are suspected to be from the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Abuja who are believed to have been paid huge sums of money by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“They are allegedly led by one CSP Ibrahim Angbasa, who have been operating outside the scope of their job, carrying AK-47 rifles and other dangerous weapons and moving around the State in Hummer buses and Hilux vans, to harass and abduct our party chieftains across the State.
“Another police officer, DC Patrick Ejedawe, from Uromi, Edo Central, popularly called “Citadel”, is also said to be in active connivance with these unauthorized police officers to carry out this dastardly acts in the State.
“These policemen have since the onset of their sinister operations arrested some of our party members, including Mr Amos Tom , and Hon. Kingsley Osahon, the Councillor representing Ward 10 in Esan North East Local Government Area, along with several others whose whereabout are currently unknown.
“We are also aware that they have compiled a list of prominent PDP chieftains from across the State’s three senatorial districts, and even procured fake court warrants of arrest with names of PDP members, whom they plan to abduct to weaken the PDP ahead of the forthcoming gubernatorial election scheduled for September 21, 2024.
The PDP guber campaign director general while lamenting the situation said it is rather unfortunate that while the PDP is diligently working, moving from ward to ward and local government to local government actively campaigning across various platforms, articulating their programmes and initiatives for the people of Edo State, the APC is attempting to weaponize the police against the people because they know they have a defective and unmarketable candidate and cannot win under any circumstance in a free, fair and credible election.
“Their only strategy is to use what they term federal might to harass and intimidate opposition parties into submission in their quest to secure electoral victory through subterfuge.
“The Police officers, who are being compromised to do the wishes of the APC, must remember that they are funded by tax payer’s money and must not allow themselves to be used by the APC against the people, in pursuit of their selfish political gains.
“The Nigeria Police is for all Nigerians and not for some powerful members of the ruling Party at the Federal Government” he also alleged.
Iduoriyekemwen further alleged that at the APC rally held in one of the Senatorial districts, the former Deputy Governor, Hon Philip Shuaibu was boasting and issuing threats to the PDP, daring them to come out that day if they have two “ heads”.
He said Philip Shaibu even boasted that only one act from him has sent the PDP into hiding, and further said there are SCENES 2-5 loading, adding “this has given credence to our shouts that what the APC sponsored and committed at the airport and on airport road in Benin on 18/07/2024 the day he came to try to violently take over office, was scripted from Abuja with the APC gubernatorial candidate”.
“It is pertinent to note that the days in which political parties win elections by wanton intimidation are far gone and Edo people are going to stand firm in resistance to any form of harassment and intimidation by an
Hon Iduoriyekemwen emphasized the urgent need to bring attention to the alarming trend of harassment, intimidation, illegal arrest, and abduction of PDP leaders in all three senatorial districts of the state by police officers from the IRT Unit who are apparently following the directives of the APC.
