Toba Owojaiye reporting
Benin City, Edo State
In a statement issued ( made available to Truth Live News) by Chris Osa Nehikhare, Commissioner of Communication and Orientation, the Edo State Government drew attention “to deliberate attempts by the State’s Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stir violence and cause crisis in the State, in a desperate move to halt the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)”.
This deplorable act, in his opinion, resulted in the injury of an innocent student, exposing the disregard for democratic principles and the safety of citizens.
He said it is deplorable that such thuggish behavior, should be attributed and associated with a supposed responsible opposition party.
Hon Nehikhare saw this as a concerning trend in political discourse. Attacking a CVR center to impede voter registration for an election they are contesting is a grave transgression against the democratic process.
He asserted that this has raised doubts about the APC’s confidence in their candidate and their commitment to engaging voters through legitimate means. The Edo State Government rightfully condemns such actions and has called on security agencies to intervene.
Instead of resorting to violence, he told the APC to focus on mobilizing voters and promoting their candidate’s agenda through peaceful means.
Edo residents are urged not to be deterred by these tactics but to actively participate in the CVR exercise and the upcoming gubernatorial election, fostering a commitment to a fair and violence-free electoral process.
These were his exact words:
“The State Government strongly condemns the recent attack and shooting at Idia College a couple of days ago, which led to the injury of an innocent student.
“To say the least, this is most troubling, disheartening, and shameful and is never a way to play the opposition role expected of a responsible opposition party.”
“It is utterly appalling that a political party would resort to attacking a CVR center to obstruct eligible voters from registering to participate in an election that they are contesting. One is left to wonder how the APC plans to get the electorate to vote for their candidate.”
“We say no to such shenanigans and resort to violence by the APC and their agents and call on security agencies to rein in these agents of violence.”
“We thank God there was no loss of life from the reprehensible act and are therefore warning the APC to desist from this dishonorable conduct and rather embrace democratic norms.”
“If the APC really has a candidate to sell and believes in the viability and credibility of their candidate, they should get more people to register and should also campaign to convince the people to vote for him instead of resorting to attacking Edo people and disrupting the peace in the State.”
“We urge all Edo people not to be discouraged by the desperate antics of the APC and their agents but leverage the opportunity of the CVR exercise to register for their Permanent Voters Card s (PCVs) and participate in the September 21 gubernatorial election with a determination to collectively work towards a free, fair, and violence-free electoral process.”