Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, said yesterday that his administration had dismantled the “PDP rigging machine” in the state.
Oshiomhole said this while speaking with State House correspondents shortly after holding a closed-door session with the President on the furore generated by the council poll.
According to him, “Edo people are not fools. How will they vote for rogues? People, whose philosophy is ‘ share the money’. Those days have gone. All they (PDP leaders) tried to do in this election has been very clear and that is what I have come to tell the President; that they tried to create the impression of a state that has gone out of control — to try to use some criminals, armed gangs to create trouble here and there and the police were looking the other way,” the Governor said.
The former labour leader accused the PDP leaders of carrying out their alleged nefarious activities while aligning with the Police. He said he had lost out with the security Agency (the police) after he had altercations with them over the death of his Principle private Secretary and the shoddy manner the case was investigated.
He however said he does not need to be a friend of the police once the people of the state love him.
“I don’t need to be the best friend of the Police. What I need is to be loved and appreciated by Edo people, and once Edo people are on, no force, external to Edo, can rig election, and so, that is what has happened,” he said.
Oshiomhole said it was wrong for PDP leaders to complain about the council election, saying no weight should be attached to a complaint by an armed robber that he was robbed.
He said, “If an armed robber is complaining of being robbed, it is your choice as to how much weight to place on his complaints. The history of rigging elections in Nigeria is as old as PDP. They have lived on it, they have perpetrated it, they have deepened it, have feasted on it and even celebrated it.
“I thank God that he has used me and other patriotic people to dismantle PDP rigging machine in Edo State and you recall that last July 16, 2012, I contested elections in Edo state and won all the 18 local government areas including Chief Tony Anenih’s local government. I defeated him in his local government, even his ward.
“Onolemenen, the Minister of Works, I defeated him in his polling booth and ward. Honourable Tula, member of the House of Reps and former speaker of Edo state, I defeated him in his ward and unit.
“Where are the PDP guys? This is the heart of the PDP godfathers. So, God has used us to dismantle, if it is evil, it can’t stand. Now this was July 14, after the election, more and more people decamped from PDP because they were completely demoralised, the chief legal coordinator of the PDP candidate decamped to join ACN a month ago, the chief agent of the PDP governorship candidate at INEC decamped to join ACN and it is instructive what they said.”
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