Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has warned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would resist every attempt to unlawfully remove Governor Godwin Obaseki from office or rig the September 19 governorship election in Edo State.
This is as the Edo State Chapter of the PDP, yesterday, called on the police to arrest any person or group of persons who claim to have emerged as the new Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA) and others parading themselves as members of Edo Assembly outside of the legally inaugurated 10 members.
The state women’s wing of the party, on their part, yesterday, stormed the premises of state House of Assembly to solidarise with Obaseki ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
Wike, who is the chairman of the party’s national campaign council, said the illegal and provocative invasion of the House of Assembly by the “thugs” of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the purported impeachment of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House was condemnable.
The governor said an invalid assemblage of 17 lawmakers-elect with no legitimate claims to the membership of the House of Assembly could not lawfully convene in the private residence of Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the APC governorship candidate, to unseat and effect a change of leadership in the Edo State House of Assembly.
He said the purported impeachment of the Speaker was a mere charade, completely futile and exists only in the imagination of the evil perpetrators and their crude and unintelligent co-travellers and sponsors.
“It is now clear to all discerning minds that what is a prepared script by the sinking opposition APC to intimidate PDP and illegally impeach its candidate, Godwin Obaseki, having seen clearly that they cannot win the September 19, 2020, election without any miracle.
“We have raised the alarm before that the APC is not ready for a free and fair contest and will do all sorts of things including violence with the backing of federal might to rig and claim unmerited victory at all cost. Nigerians can now bear witness that our claims and fears of the desperation of the APC are not without basis.”
Wike warned that Nigeria was still a fragile democracy, noting that the war-like approach of the APC to the election poses a very serious threat to the survival of democracy in Edo State and Nigeria in general.
“Nigeria should therefore hold the APC and its candidate responsible should there be spiral and total breakdown of law and order in Edo State. The PDP will resist every attempt to unlawfully remove Obaseki from office or rig the election against the will of majority of the people,” he said.
The state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Chris Nehikhare, in a statement in Benin City, said the party was committed to upholding the rule of law and order.
“Once again, we say that the 14 men who invaded Benin on August 6 are not members of the Edo State House of Assembly but members-elect, whose seats were validly declared vacant following their refusal to make themselves available for swearing-in upon the proclamation and inauguration of the Assembly by Obaseki.
“As at today, the Edo State House of Assembly consists of 10 members, hence the need to remind those saying they constitute majority in the Assembly that their claim is baseless,” he said.
The women, in a road show along major streets in Benin City, urged residents to support the candidate of the PDP in the September 19 election.
Addressing journalists at the premises of the House of Assembly, Edo South Senatorial Leader, Lady Uwa Osunbor, said their support for the governor became necessary owing to his developmental strides. She appealed to residents to come out en mass to vote for the PDP candidate in the election.
