Tension heightened in Edo State yesterday over alleged deployment of soldiers to the country-home of the Governor Adams Oshiomhole, in Iyamoh, Auchi in Etsako West Local Government Area.

This occured at a time the All Progressive Congress (APC) had alleged that the Army high command in Abuja had drafted a special covert unit to the party’s strongholds in Edo North and Edo South senatorial zones.

According to a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Louis Odion, yesterday, the aim was to intimidate the governor and manipulate the elections in favour of PDP.

Said Odion: “Family members of the Comrade Governor were shocked to find his country-home taken over by soldiers this afternoon. When asked, the invading force said they were acting on orders from above. We also have it on good authority that the Army high command in Abuja had sent some soldiers to Edo State on what they described as, ‘special operations’.

“In order not to arouse suspicion, these soldiers were told to dress in suits and pose as SSS operatives and station themselves at polling units on election day, particularly in areas seen as APC strongholds. They were told to harass and possibly detain polling agents of APC in order to clear the ground for rigging by agents of PDP, who would be wearing special hand bands. It is a rehash of the rigging manual implemented in Ekiti, last year.”

The commissioner also stated that two days ago, the governor’s campaign jingle on Channels Television, in which Oshiomhole endorsed General Buhari, was stopped abruptly after a few exposures on orders from above.

He added: “For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to use this medium to tell the Army high command that Comrade Oshiomhole cannot be intimidated even with whole might of the Nigerian Army from insisting on the application of the principle of ‘one man, one vote’ on the election day. We hope that as patriots, officers and men of the Nigerian Army will not allow themselves to be used by political desperadoes to truncate this democracy.”

•Adapted from Daily Sun. Photo shows Oshiomhole.

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