PDP accuses Edo APC of mobilising thugs to South South | Nairalaw

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has accused the
ruling All Progressives Congress of mobilising youths in the state
to work as thugs in some Niger Delta states during Saturday’s
Governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Director General of the Edo State branch of the Atiku Abubakar
Campaign Organization, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who raised the
alarm in a chat with newsmen, said the recruited youths were kept
at the residence of an APC leader in Benin City.

Ize-Iyamu listed Delta, Akwa Ibom and Rivers States as the
targeted states.

He said information at his disposal indicated that the youths
would be deployed to the states between Thursday and Friday to
assist in rigging and disrupting the polls in the opposition
party’s stronghold.

The former PDP governorship candidate however said the party
would not watch helplessly for the thugs to disrupt what was
supposed to be a peaceful election.

He said, “The thugs are being recruited and camped in the uptown
residence of a top APC leader for onward deployment to Delta,
Rivers and Akwa Ibom states to rig next Saturday’s election. The
different security agencies must do something about the situation.
We are not going to watch helplessly as some political thugs over
run us.”

State Chairman of the APC, Barr. Anselm Ojezua, who denied the
allegations said only Pastor Ize-Iyamu knew how to recruit
thugs.

“We are busy preparing for our elections in Edo State. We have
no problems with other states.

“Only he knows how to carry out such contract. We have no
interest in what is happening in other states.”