Peeved by the continuous destruction of its campaign collaterals and other signals ahead of the September 21, 2024, governorship election, the Edo State chapter of Labour Party (LP), on Friday warned that if the trend should continue, the state would be plunged into an unnecessary anarchy.
This was just as the party said that the searchlight should be beamed at the agents of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as responsible for the destruction of the LP campaign billboards in Benin City and its environs
LP governorship candidate, Mr. Olumide Akpata, who addressed a press conference in Benin over the issue, told journalists that the situation was worrisome.
“It is with a heavy heart laden with righteous indignation that I address you today regarding the desperate, undemocratic, and fascistic actions being employed by the incumbent administration to undermine our campaign and silence our voice – the voice of the people.
“Over the past few days, we have witnessed a coordinated, premeditated, and insidious assault on our constitutionally guaranteed rights to free speech, political expression, and the fundamental tenets of democracy itself.
“Billboards that I, as a law-abiding citizen and a gubernatorial candidate, legally paid for and erected across the length and breadth of Benin City have come under attack from the Local Government Areas, who are agents of the incumbent governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki.
“In Oredo Local Government Area, two of my billboards were viciously vandalised, defaced, and ultimately torn down, with explicit threats of more removals to come.
“The situation is equally dire and unacceptable in Ovia North East, where two more billboards bearing my visage and campaign messages were mindlessly destroyed by these merchants of antidemocratic forces. In Ikpoba Okha, my campaign team has received unambiguous threats that our billboards in that area will also be targeted for elimination.
“Let me be absolutely crystal clear: these are not the actions of a democratic government secure in its mandate, popular goodwill, and record of accomplishments in office.
“No, these are the desperate, last-ditch tactics of an intolerant regime terrified of the winds of change blowing across our dear state—a regime paralysed by the fear of the people’s burgeoning yearning for a new direction, a new vision, and a new era of progressive and inclusive governance.
“By resorting to the unbridled destruction of my campaign materials— materials that I have legally and legitimately paid for with hard-earned resources—Governor Obaseki and his handlers have clearly shown themselves to be anti-democratic forces intolerant of divergent voices, dissenting opinions, and the fundamental principles of pluralism that undergird any true democracy worth the name.” Akpata stated.
According to him, the destruction of his campaign collateral “are laying bare, for all to see, their disdain for the rights and freedoms that generations of Nigerians have fought, bled, and died for—the sacrosanct rights and freedoms that serve as the bedrock upon which our democratic edifice is erected. By their actions, they have demonstrated a callous disregard for the rule of law, due process, and the sanctity of our democratic institution.”
Akpata, a former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), took a swipe on hiding under the cover of darkness carry out the destruction, saying “let this serve as a solemn warning: We, the Labour Party, and indeed all well-meaning citizens of Edo State who cherish our hard-won democracy, shall not be cowed, intimidated, or browbeaten into silence. We shall unapologetically and robustly defend our constitutional right to freely campaign, share our vision, and interface with the good people of Edo State without let or hindrance”.
Besides, he urge the perpetrators to search the depths of their conscience and desist from further enabling this descent into the abyss of undemocratic totalitarianism, adding that they were not just vandalising mere billboards; “they are vandalising the sacred tenets and ethos of our democracy and urinating on the graves of the martyrs whose sacrifices paved the way for the democratic freedoms with all its imperfections.”
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The LP candidate stressed that Edo people deserved a free, fair, credible, and transparent election premised on the robust exchange and marketplace of ideas, not desperate acts of vandalism, repression, and violence from those terrified of their dwindling popular mandate.
“The clouds may be gathering; the ill winds of anti-democratic perfidy may be howling; but our resolve, our determination, and our commitment to the cause of democratic rejuvenation in our beloved state remain unshaken, unwavering, and inscribed in indelible ink. We shall overcome these antidemocratic forces through the sheer power of the people’s will and our unshakable faith in the democratic process.
“We shall campaign—lawfully, vigorously, and indefatigably—until the last day, taking our message of renewed hope, sustainable prosperity, and progressive governance to every nook and cranny, every village and hamlet, of this state. Our campaign is not a jamboree; it is a revolutionary struggle to emancipate our people from the asphyxiating grip of malgovernance, mediocrity, and the crass debasement of democratic values.
“The struggle continues, but rest assured, the Labour Party, drawing strength and sustenance from the people, will match every act of desperation with greater determination until light overpowers the forces of darkness in our dear state. We will rise like the Phoenix from the ashes of despair and despondency to enthrone a new era of accountable, responsive, and people-centric governance in the hallowed lands of Edo.
“To the masses—the downtrodden and the oppressed of Edo State—I say to you: Be not afraid! The Labour Party is your party, the party of the people, the party that will banish the spectre of poverty, underdevelopment, and lack of opportunity from our horizons. We are the vehicle through which your long-suppressed yearnings and aspirations will find vent and expression”, Akpata further stated.
He said he had alerted the State Commissioner of Police, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 5 and the Inspector General of Police of the ugly development, adding that he also raised the issue with the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE