The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned recent attacks on its campaign team in Edo State, blaming the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the incidents.
Kassim Afegbua, the Media Director of the APC Campaign Council, spoke out on Monday about two attacks that allegedly took place during their campaigns in Edo North.
According to Afegbua, the PDP is attempting to mislead the public by portraying APC members as aggressors, while in reality, the APC convoy was targeted by thugs suspected to be PDP supporters.
“The rate at which propaganda has engulfed the PDP in Edo State during this campaign season is quite alarming. They brought in some hackers, spinners, hirelings, and cloners to twist narratives to suit their inflated egos, attempting, with exaggerated fanfare, to confuse Edo voters.
“Two incidents occurred during the APC campaigns in Edo North, and the reports we saw, scripted by the PDP supporters, were most confounding.
“At the Ososo campaign in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, the APC held a very successful campaign with a huge turnout, much to the dismay of the PDP. As we were leaving the community, some ragtag thugs, presumably PDP supporters, tried to disrupt the movement of our convoy,” the statement read.
The second incident occurred in Ekperi, Etsako Central Local Government Area. Afegbua claimed that after a well-attended campaign event, the APC convoy was attacked while heading towards Fugar, the local government headquarters.
He alleged that the attackers, who he identified as PDP street urchins, shot at the vehicle of an APC candidate. Again, security operatives quickly brought the situation under control.
“At Ekperi, in Etsako Central Local Government, we also had a robust engagement with our supporters during the campaign. After we had finished, on our way to Fugar, the local government headquarters, some PDP street urchins and thugs attempted to disrupt our convoy once again, this time shooting at our candidate’s vehicle. Thanks once again to the security operatives accompanying us on the campaign, the situation was brought under control.
“When PDP hirelings, coupon clippers, and rentiers reported the incident, they twisted it to suggest that we were chased out of Ekperi. Even the PDP chieftain from Ekperi, Barrister Pascal Ugbome, knows that Ekperi is an APC stronghold, and the PDP will be soundly defeated in that locality and across Etsako Land. We are left wondering why the PDP believes that electoral engagements must be marred by violence and bloodshed,” he said.
“We have resisted this option because we love the people of Edo, regardless of their political affiliations.
“However, if this trajectory of violence continues, we may be forced to confront those who think violence and gangsterism are their methods of operation.
“When they attack the APC campaign team, they are quick to make twisted reports, suggesting that we are attacking ourselves; such perverse logic is baffling.
“This statement serves as a final warning to the PDP to instruct Governor Obaseki’s supporters to desist from further acts of violence, as our retaliation, should we resort to self-defence, would be uncontrollable. A word is enough for the wise.”
