Edo: Campaign council warns against linking arrest, disputes to APC

The Edo state Presidential, National Assembly and State House of Assembly Campaign Council has cautioned politicians against dragging the All Progressives Congress (APC) into every arrest, quarrel, community dispute or personal disagreement in the State simply because the 2027 election season is approaching.

The council warned against manufacturing attacks or portraying private disputes as political incidents to attract public sympathy, insisting that allegations of attacks by APC members or supporters must be backed by evidence and subjected to investigation by the police and other relevant security agencies.

It warned that deliberately fabricating or staging attacks to create fear, mislead the public or gain political sympathy could attract legal consequences.

In a statement signed by its Director of Media, John Mayaki, the council said the APC had no interest in inheriting private disputes or criminal allegations that had no connection with the party.

“Let nobody manufacture an attack and then hang it on the APC simply because election season has arrived. That trick will not sell. It will not fly,” Mayaki said.

He urged politicians with personal grievances to seek appropriate channels for resolving their disputes rather than attributing every disagreement to the ruling party.

“If you have a score to settle with somebody, settle it with the person. If you have a dispute, take it to the appropriate authorities.

“But do not drag the ruling party into your private troubles simply because you think shouting ‘APC’ will attract sympathy,” he added.

The council also cautioned against using allegations involving firearms as political tools, noting that claims involving shootings and spent cartridges should be subjected to proper investigation.

Mayaki said anyone presenting recovered cartridges as evidence of an alleged attack must be prepared to establish their origin and other circumstances surrounding the incident before investigators.

He further stressed that Governor Monday Okpebholo had zero tolerance for criminality and activities capable of undermining peace and security in Edo State