The All Progressives Congress (APC) Media Campaign Council for Edo State governorship election on Thursday demanded investigation into Governor Godwin Obaseki’s alleged arms importation, thugs’ escort and massive shootings during his re-election campaigns.

It slammed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate for the shocking shootings at Obaseki’s rally in Igueben, saying the incident affirmed its previous allegation of Obaseki’s importation of guns and inclusion of buses full of armed thugs in his convoy.

PDP spokesman Chris Nehikhare, however, denied the allegation levelled by the APC media campaign council against Governor Obaseki, saying it was false.

The APC Media Campaign Council through its Chairman, Prince John Mayaki, condemned the resort to violence by Obaseki, his allies and thugs.

It said:

“According to multiple reports confirmed by residents in Igueben and hospital’s records, chaos broke out on August 19 at Igueben, near the home of a PDP chieftain, Chief Tom Ikimi (an indigene of Igueben), when armed thugs escorting Governor Obaseki on a campaign turned on one another in a wild shooting that sent at least one person to hospital, with a leg damaged by bullets.

“While confirming the shooting that left people scampering for safety, eyewitnesses said the thugs, sourced from neighbouring states and handed deadly firearms, secretly purchased by Edo governor, had maintained a fractious relationship, as some of them reportedly belong to rival cults.”

The Nation