Benin City, Nigeria – In a startling revelation, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Prince Emmanuel Odigie, has accused the Presidency of plotting to manipulate the upcoming Edo State governorship election. Prince Odigie made this accusation during an interview on ARISE TV’s “The Morning Show” on Thursday, August 15, 2024.
Prince Odigie, who previously served as Deputy Director General of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council and is now a member of the APC Integrity Group in Edo State, claims that key figures within the Presidency, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and the Chief of Staff to President Tinubu, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, are involved in the alleged scheme.
According to Odigie, these officials have conspired with notable APC leaders in Edo State to ensure that their party’s candidate, Monday Okpebholo, emerges victorious in the September 21 governorship election. He suggests that President Tinubu plans to be out of the country during the election, providing cover for these alleged activities.
The APC chieftain further alleged that the APC-led federal government intends to deploy the military and other security agencies to intimidate voters and manipulate the election results. “There is a plan by the APC, and we know it. The Integrity group members are always in every meeting they hold. There’s a plan to use the Vice President, Senate President, and Femi Gbajabiamila to rig the election while the President will go on holidays. There is also a plan to use the police and DSS to intimidate the people; we know all these things too,” Odigie said.
Odigie warned that the Edo diaspora has filed petitions with various international agencies, cautioning against the alleged rigging plans by the APC. He urged President Tinubu to be vigilant and ensure that no one within the Presidency undermines the collective will of the Edo people.
Addressing concerns about his apparent anti-party activities due to his support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, Odigie maintained that he remains a dedicated APC member and a loyal supporter of President Tinubu. However, he expressed his support for Asue Ighodalo because of Ighodalo’s impressive track record and his commitment to the development of Edo State.
“Asue Ighodalo is an international brand. Edo is blessed to have such a man leave all his jobs and offer himself to serve the people, yet some politicians want to truncate the opportunity for Edo to grow. In 2016, Comrade Oshiomhole told us it was the blueprint that Obaseki and Asue Ighodalo gave him that he used to increase IGR in Edo from N600m to about N3 Billion,” Odigie revealed.
Prince Odigie also criticized former Edo Governor and current Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole. He accused Oshiomhole of lying about a court judgment that never existed to mislead the public and of supporting APC’s governorship candidate, Monday Okpebholo, whom Odigie described as lacking the necessary knowledge and experience to govern Edo State.
“Adams Oshiomhole came and talked about a judgment that never existed on TV. Oshiomhole should wake up and smell the coffee. Edo people do not believe in him anymore. His days are over, and he should allow a free and fair election,” Odigie asserted.
Reflecting on the APC’s performance in the 2023 elections, Odigie pointed out that Oshiomhole’s leadership in the APC campaign led to significant losses. “In 2023, Oshiomhole made himself the face of the APC campaign in Edo State, and we lost woefully to the extent that we couldn’t even give Asiwaju Bola Tinubu 25% of votes cast. We also lost the House of Assembly elections to PDP. Today he has also made himself the face of the Governorship Campaigns in Edo State, and APC’s defeat is imminent,” he said.
Concluding his statements, Odigie questioned the capabilities of the APC governorship candidate, Monday Okpebholo, challenging him to appear on any TV station and speak to the Edo people directly. “Monday Okpebholo is a man who cannot read a balance sheet,” Odigie claimed, expressing his doubts about Okpebholo’s suitability for the governorship role.
