The APC has alleged plans by Governor Godwin Obaseki and the PDP to arrest its leaders over staged kidnappings in Edo State. The APC Media Campaign Council, raised the alarm in a statement on Thursday.
APC said Governor Godwin Obaseki and the PDP are concluding plans to fake the kidnap of some identified PDP members across the state and blame the APC for their disappearance. The party says Governor Obaseki is already intimidating the Police to join in the plot by arresting and remanding APC leaders over the staged kidnappings to prevent them from continuing their grassroots mobilization of voters.
The statement read: “We have been made aware of plans by the outgoing Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and his party, the PDP, to stage kidnappings of some of their members across the state and blame the APC for their disappearance.
“We have confidentially obtained the list of some PDP members penned for the fake kidnappings in Edo South Senatorial District and the proposed cash allowance the Governor is offering them in exchange for their cooperation in the reprehensible plot.
“We are also aware that Mr. Godwin Obaseki is already mounting pressure on the Police to play along in this shameful plot. He has requested that they commence arrest of our leaders across the state and keep them in detention over the fake kidnappings just to keep them out of circulation and prevent them from continuing their grassroots mobilization of voters.
“This desperate and disgraceful plan was borne out of the Governor’s frustration with his repeated failure to inflict harm on APC leaders through his hired thugs who he continues to illegally funnel arms and cash as motivation to unleash mayhem, especially in APC strongholds in Edo State.
“Some of the PDP members whose purported kidnap will be staged are already informing their families and close friends of their brief disappearance in the coming days, encouraging them not to worry, and familiarizing them with the timeline prepared by Mr. Godwin Obaseki, including media charades meant to whip up sympathy.”
Mayaki advised the Police not to lend itself to the alleged plans of the Governor and his party, stating that the APC and its leaders are law-abiding and are the victims of the Governor’s growing of abuse of office, orchestration of violence, and intimidation with state agencies constitutionally required to be apolitical.
