…‘You can’t lie your way to power in Edo’

The Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State is insensitive to the plight of the people occasioned by the gross mismanagement of the economy by its government at the centre in the last nine years but has focused on spreading lies and propaganda to hoodwink the people of the State.

Nehikhare who spoke during a press conference in Benin City, the Edo State capital, said despite the devastation caused by the APC Government, the party and its members in the State have buried their heads in the sand and continue to gush out lies and propaganda to dampen the people’s desire to break free from the stranglehold by which the APC has shackled them for the past nine years.

He noted that it was such a show of shame to see the party sitting before pressmen waving worthless pieces of paper as evidence for non-existent fraud allegations against a State Government that has enthroned transparency and accountability in the cause of the administration of the State’s resources.

The Commissioner stated, “It has become imperative for us as representatives of our people in the State Government to draw the attention of the authorities and the members of the public to the plight of the Edo people and by extension the Nigerian people.

“Despite our best efforts to mitigate the suffering that Edo people and Nigerians have been plunged into by the APC Government through the increase in minimum wage, free WiFi in different parts of the State, free transport scheme that have benefited over six million Edo residents since its launch in September 2023, food palliative to millions of Edo people, free registration for pensioners into the State’s health Insurance Scheme, among others, we want to restate that the people are still going through untold hardship and this is as a result of the gross mismanagement of the economy by the APC as a government at the centre in the last nine years.

“It is on record how the haphazard withdrawal of subsidy by the APC Government on May 29, 2023, tossed the economy into chaos and pushed our people to the brink of starvation.

“Also, it is well noted by Nigerians how the poorly thought-through policy to unify the exchange blew our currency out of the waters, making it almost worthless, negatively impacting inflation and the general economic landscape.

“As if that is not enough, they have continuously stifled business growth in the country, increasing taxes and doubling the burdens on small businesses.

“The nation is slowly descending back into terrorism with the rise of suicide bombings, among others.”

Nehikhare continued: “On the back of these devastation that have been caused by the APC Government, the Party in Edo State seems to be surprisingly oblivious of this terrible situation. Just like the ostrich, they have buried their heads in the sand and have continued to gush out lies and propaganda hoping to hoodwink our people and dampen their desire to break free from the stranglehold by which the APC has shackled them for the past nine years.

“It is such a show of shame to see them sit before pressmen waving worthless pieces of paper as evidence for non-existent fraud allegations against a State Government that has enthroned transparency and accountability in the cause of the administration of the State’s resources.

“As a party whose foundation was built on a web of lies and deceit, there is no gainsaying, the same way they manufactured this worthless paper is the same way they manufactured the court papers that they used in misinforming and misleading the Edo people on the candidacy of the PDP candidate; it is the same manner in which they manufactured the crisis with the palace, all in a desperate effort to hoodwink the people and reawaken their completely comatose party in Edo State.”

He further noted, “The governorship election in Edo State is around the corner and just the way they fooled the entire nation into bondage, they are hoping to replicate the same in Edo State, parading a hardly literate candidate, who finds it difficult expressing himself in public fora and without the verve to share his vision for the people.

“But you, our Edo people are wiser than that. We know who our friends are and who our oppressors are and cannot submit ourselves to them again to inflict the pains and sufferings of these last few years on our people the second time."

Noting that the party cannot lie its way to power in the State, he stated, “Our people are determined to break from this bondage come September 21, 2024, by sustaining the leadership of the PDP at the State level. They know that the PDP is the best choice for the continued progress and prosperity of the State and will not allow lies and propaganda by their oppressors to cloud their judgment and stop them from making informed decisions for a better future for themselves and their unborn children.”

“Come September 21, it is PDP or nothing and there is nothing the APC can do about it,” Nehikhare added.