Chief Billy Osawaru, the standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode federal constituency seat in the 2023 general elections, has accused the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, of recruiting people into the Labour Party (LP).
“We really don’t know where the governor belongs right now. We really don’t know if he is in the PDP or LP(Labour Party) because as far as I know the governor is using his Chief of Staff (COS) to recruit people into LP,” he alleged.
On his chances of winning the polls he boasted, “I can tell you with everything you see on ground I am very safe. As long as it is in Uhunmwode and Orhionmwon federal constituency. I am widely accepted. The people are there for me. If you look at what has being happening lately in Orhionmwon and Uhunmwode.
“Have you heard a situation where they say APC members decamp to PDP? No, it’s the other way round. Every week we have being receiving and harvesting people from PDP. They’re tired. A lot of them don’t even know where they belong.”
On the allegation by former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elizabeth Ativie that the APC primary to pick the standard bearer for the Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode federal constituency was a cash and carry affair, Osawaru disclosed: “We had a free, fair and credible primary. INEC(Independent National Electoral Commission) witnessed it. The INEC report is there. Out of 110 delegates that voted she got 16 votes after representing the people of Uhunmwode at the House of Assembly for ten years. The second person scored 19 votes and I scored 73 votes. This is not a secret any more. The records are there.
“That was why she couldn’t steal the mandate when she tried to. So, if you are talking of cash and carry what business did you have in Abuja trying to take a mandate that was already gotten by somebody else? If you’re saying you never participated in the primary how did it become cash and carry?
“I am not sure what she meant by cash and carry because this is the woman we can actually get you bank transfers that she made to delegates. This same woman talking she made tansfers to delegates up to the tune of N400,000 per delegate.
“We have bank transfers she made. At the appropriate time we can make those documents available. She is talking about cash and carry. I worked that was why the people accepted me. I worked round the clock. It’s so painful when people don’t try to give you your credit.
“This was the same woman that opted for the field. The only plan she had was to go there(the primary) and buy those votes. But the delegates just told her enough is enough.
“She sent money to their accounts. They refused to vote for her. Right there, in the field this woman started sending text messages to them to return her money. We can get some of those text messages out there too.
“I don’t know who she thinks she is fooling. May be she’s fooling the journalists because we have videos from ITV and I would be glad to furnish you with those videos. It is so embarrassing for somebody like this to come out and be talking about cash and carry.
“I really don’t know what she means by cash and carry. You gave N25 million to people at the national secretariat of the APC even before the primary to come and deliver you.”
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