Edo election: Presidency dispels viral ‘arrest threat’ video
- The presidency has dispelled a viral "arrest threat" video
- Garba Shehu, a senior media aide, described the video and PDP alarm as "a patchwork of mischief"
- PDP had earlier raised the alarm that Adams Oshiomhole was seeking clampdown on opposition party members ahead of Edo election
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The presidency has finally broken silence on the leaked video where the All Progressives Congress (APC) was accused to have been planning to arrest some opposition members ahead of the Edo guber poll.
Recall that Adams Oshiomhole, former chairman of the ruling party, visited Aso Rock to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, August 16.
A video later emerged showing Oshiomhole discussing with the chief of staff to the president, Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, in the State House.
Although the subject of discussion between the CoS and Oshiomhole was not audible enough, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised an alarm over alleged plot by the presidency and Oshiomhole to arrest some people from the opposition party.
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Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, August 18, the national publicity secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan said Oshiomhole, in the video, was seeking a clampdown on the opposition party ahead of the guber election scheduled for September 19.
"Nigerians were alarmed by the video in which Oshiomhole was seen emphatically urging the Chief of Staff to Mr President on the need to clampdown on certain unnamed Nigerians to achieve political suppression and submission ahead of the Edo election," Ologbondiyan said.
But in a swift reaction to the leaked video and bad comments generated by it, Garba Shehu, a senior media aide to the president, described the development as "a patchwork of mischief."
Shehu said the video was extracted from an innocent conversation that focused on the emerging incidents of violence in the run-up to the election.
“It is very important to strongly dispel misguided messaging amongst commentators, rights activists, advocates and journalists who have been reacting to a trending short video clip, alleging that the Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari and Chief Adams Oshiomhole, the former All Progressives Congress, APC chairman had hatched a plan to arrest opposition individuals ahead of the September, election in Edo State," Garba said.
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Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Oshiomhole told the security operatives to arrest people caught causing violence in the Edo state governorship election irrespective of their party affiliations.
Addressing journalist at the State House after the meeting, Oshiomhole disclosed that he told President Buhari that heavy security is needed for the Edo election in order to prevent malpractices and violence.
APC disqualifies Obaseki from Edo guber primaries | Legit TV
Source: Legit.ng
