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The Edo State government has linked the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the disrupting in the the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise in the state.
It maintained that the APC is allegedly interfering with the state's ongoing Continuous Voter Registration initiative.
In a statement released by Jarret Tenebe, the APC's acting state chairman, appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission to postpone the registration process because of damage to the organization's state offices, supplies, and machinery caused by the weekend's downpour.
The APC has earlier alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party and INEC were conniving to manipulate the CVR in favour of PDP.
But the Edo chapter’s Head of Voters Education and Publicity of INEC, Timidi Wariowei, described the statement as unfair.
Following the development, the Edo State government, in a press statement by the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, condemned the alleged action of the APC.
It also accused the party of stirring violence and causing crisis in the state, in a move to halt the ongoing CVR.
The government said since the party was not able to halt the exercise, after a failed call on the INEC to do so, it now resorted to violence across the state.
The statement reads, “The attention of the Edo State government has been drawn to deliberate attempts by the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stir violence and cause crisis in the state, in a desperate move to halt the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“The state government strongly condemns the recent attack and shooting at Idia College a couple of days ago, which led to the injury of an innocent student.
“To say the least, this is most troubling, disheartening, and shameful and is never a way to play the opposition role expected of a responsible opposition party.
“It is utterly appalling that a political party would resort to attacking a CVR centre to obstruct eligible voters from registering to participate in an election that it is contesting. One is left to wonder how the APC plans to get the electorate to vote for its candidate.”
The state government called on the security agencies to address issues of violence in the state.
“If the APC has a candidate to sell and believes in the viability and credibility of its candidate, the party should get more people to register and should also campaign to convince the people to vote for him, instead of resorting to attacking Edo people and disrupting the peace in the state,” the statement added.
