CPC boss, ACN members defect to PDP in EtsakoTHE chairman of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State, Mr Sunday Kpatako and several Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) members, on Monday, collapsed their structures in their former parties and joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the July 14 governorship poll in the state.A leader of the ACN in the area, Mr Princewill Otiegbe, who spoke on behalf of defectors from the ACN, lamented that the party did not follow due process while carrying out its activities, while promising that they would work to ensure PDP won in the forthcoming governorship election. The state PDP governorship candidate, Major-General Charles Airhiav-bere (retd), speaking at the campaign, assured the people that his administration, when elected, would initiate new projects and complete ongoing ones in all localities within Afemai land.Airhiavbere, who was in company with the state PDP chairman, Chief Dan Orbih and other party leaders, spoke at rallies in Anegbette, Ekperi, Fugar and Ogbona.He told the people that his desire was to ensure the state was developed to standards, adding that 'rural transformation is the bedrock of development in a state. When we come on board, we're declaring emergency on security, health and education, which we will make sure also trickle down to our rural communities.'Oshiomhole decries PDP on ethnic politicsTHE campaign organisation of Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiom-hole, on Tuesday, condemned what it described as descent to ethnic politics being orchestrated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the July 14 election, General Charles Airhiavbere.The director of media and publicity of the campaign organisation, Kas-sim Afegbua, made the condemnation in a statement issued and signed in Benin City, the Edo State capital.Afegbua, in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune, said those championing ethnic politics were promoting sectional politics which, he said, was not good for the unity of the state and, by extension, the country.Speaking further, Afegbua said it was the opinion of the campaign organisation that rather than promote divisive tendencies that tended to sectionalise politics, the PDP candidate should rather devote time in ensuring that the different socio-political and cultural groupings in the state were united for the good of the state.'We have watched the trend in the PDP campaign, going to the extent of twisting comments which were made by the comrade governor and using same out of context to score very cheap political points. 'But we are happy that the entire Edo people are wiser now and have seen the monumental achievements of the governor in the entire state. That is why the governor is being endorsed by all those who matter in the state, irrespective of background, race or creed,' he said.Afegbua said there was no going back on Oshiom-hole's resolve at developing the state, stressing that his second term would afford him the opportunity to leverage on the economic infrastructure of the state.Jonathan won't join plot to rig Edo poll 'Dokubo-AsariFORMER president of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujaheed Dokubo-Asari, has expressed the hope that President Goodluck Jonathan will not be part of any plot to rig the July 14 governorship election in Edo State.He also responded to the threat by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to sue him over his earlier warning against rigging the July 14 poll by the party, challenging the party to take him to court.Alhaji Dokubo-Asari, who spoke in Benin City, the Edo State capital, added that the incumbent state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, did not suppose to campaign because of what he had achieved in the state.He said he was a supporter of President Jona-than, adding that the Jonathan he knew could not do a thing like supporting or joining in the plot to rig election.According to him, 'our people did not protest during the fuel subsidy removal because Jonathan is our own. And if Jonathan, with all these, now decide to support those who want to steal the mandate Edo people will freely give to Oshiomhole, then I think people like us will start to question our support for him.'Leave corps members out of alleged rigging plot 'NYSC DGAS the preparations for the governoship election in Edo State hot up, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier-General Nnamidi Okorie Affiah, on Tuesday, dismissed the speculations doing the round that corps members serving in the state had been compromised to work for the state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, ahead of the poll.Speaking during a visit to the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as parts of the build-up to the governoship election in Edo State, Brigadier-General Affiah said at no time would any corps member or staff of the directorate be allowed to be used to truncate the principle of free, fair and credible election in the country by individual or group of politicians.While describing the allegation as false and baseless, which should be disregarded in its entirety, he said the Edo State governor only paid hazard allowance to corps members serving in the state, especially those in public schools and rural areas, as obtained in other states of the federation.According to him, 'the allegation is false. The governor only paid hazard allowance to corps members as being done in other states of the federation.'The involvement of corps members in the electoral process is to add credibility to it. Corps members and our staff will not be used to rig or change the outcome of the Edo governorship election or any where else, as being speculated.''Responding, INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, the clarification would lay to rest all the speculations, while he expressed the confidence of the commission on the ability of the corps members.
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