TRACKING____The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo has said neither the party nor the state government was responsible for the damage or removal of the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate’s billboards.
The state PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr Chris Nehikhare, said this while briefing newsmen on Sunday in Benin.
The APC, in a statement issued by the Director of Publicity of Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organisation, Mr John Mayaki, had, on Saturday, raised the alarm that the campaign billboards of Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu were being destroyed and pulled down in some part of the state.
Mayaki had further alleged that the PDP and the state government were responsible for the act.
However, Nehikhare described the allegation against the PDP and the state government as ‘frivolous and unsubstantiated’.
He said that the party and the state government were also shocked at the development, even as he condemned the act.
The PDP publicity secretary added that in view of this development, the state government had put the security agencies on notice to ensure that the perpetrators of the act were apprehended, while also advising the APC to look inward.
“It is a known fact that there are factions within the APC in the state. Perhaps the factions could be responsible.
“Let me make it categorically clear that PDP or the state government has no hands in the destruction or damage of the billboards mounted by the APC.
“While we condemn the act, we, however, advise APC to look inwards, as it is common knowledge that the party is seriously divided and populated by factions.
“It is laughable that the APC will contemplate that PDP or its government will pay attention to its posters or billboards without messages and want them destroyed or damaged.” He said.
Nehikhare further said that the PDP and the state government could not be blackmailed or distracted by the allegations, adding that the people of the state were too politically sophisticated to fall for such antics.
“We will concentrate on our agenda of ‘resetting’ Edo for a better and brighter tomorrow and not lose sleep over the baseless allegations,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governorship election in the state is scheduled for Sept. 19.
NAN also reports that the PDP and the APC are the major political parties preparing to slug it out in the state.
