We will defend the votes and our mandate with everything, there will be no rigging – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu

We will defend the votes and our mandate with everything, there will be no rigging – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu

The PDP candidate in the forthcoming Edo 2016 gubernatorial election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has said that the 2016 election in Edo State cannot be rigged because the PDP and his supporters would do everything to protect their votes and his mandate.

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu stated this at the ongoing Civil Society Interactive Session with Gubernatorial Candidates holding at Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre, Benin City.

“This election cannot be rigged. This election cannot be rigged. We will defend our vote and the peoples mandate.” Pastor Ize-Iyamu said.

Pastor Ize-Iyamu lamented a situation where the Attorney General of the state has reduced his office to an avenue to unlawfully and immorally arrest and detain lots of PDP supporters with false allegations of attempted murder so as to keep them out of circulation until after the election.

Particularly, 13 youths at Ovia were remanded in prison by the machinizations of the attorney general of the state.

Investigation by Urhokpota Reporters revealed that a certain Police Officer in Benin City of the rank of Deputy Superintendent received a car gift from the governor recently, the car is parked always at the police officer’s mess.

He is believed to be detailed with the task of arresting PDP supporters and framing them up with fake crimes based of bogus petitions. He is instructed to accuse them with attempted murder so that they may not be able to get bail. For this service, he is alleged to have received huge amount of money from the outgoing governor as well as a brand new car.

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu lamented that the victimization of Edo people should stop because if this continues, it may precipitate a situation where the people will lose confidence in the Police and resort to self help, which would not augur well to any one.

“What kind of society are we in now? That people who got in on our own mandate have become despotic and turn state apparatus into a tool for victimization of the people who elected them. You will be amazed at the number of political prisoners languishing in prisons. They are told that their charges would be dropped if they defected to APC but many of them said “No”.

As if to echo what Ize-Iyamu said the chairman for the Youth Moblization for the PDP,  Hon. Daniel Asekhame has also come out to warn against rigging the election when he talked to a Vanguard reporter in Auchi, Edo north.

The chairman stressed that due to the nature and antecedents of the APC led government in Edo state, very serious measures are to be applied to stop the APC from rigging the elections and generating the consequent trouble and confusion in the zone.

He said that PDP is ready to comply with all electoral rules and norms towards achieving a peaceful election but emphasized his assurance on according to him “nobody can take us by surprise, we shall manage and respond to any type of eventuality that may arise during the election”.

He however said he will continue his tour of the 3 senatorial districts comprising Edo state for further sensitization and mobilization to ensure the youth come out en mass to vote and assure the victory of the PDP in the coming governorship elections