The Peoples Democratic Party has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remain true to her mandate and resist any plot by the ruling party to compromise her conduct of the September 19 election in Edo State.

The party said the All Progressives Congress was in a fix in its alleged bad choice if the candidate will square up with PDP’s candidate Governor Godwin Obaseki whom it said has the support of the people.

The party said the desperation of the ruling party has given in to plotting, using fabrications in a section of the media to arm-twist the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to manipulate the Edo State governorship election for their rejected candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

” PDP counsels INEC to note the dangerous plots of the APC and insulate itself from their shenanigans as the tide in this election is already clear for all to see,” Kola Ologbondiyan said in a statement released in Abuja.

According to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP,) the APC in sponsoring fake reports that PDP leaders were putting pressure on INEC Chairman, Prof Yakubu Mahmood, on the Edo election, the further exposed its hopelessness over their rejection by the Edo people and now seeks to blackmail the Commission.

The statement reads in part:

“Whereas we understand APC’s despondency over the soaring popularity of our party and candidate, Governor Godwin Obaseki, the APC is worsening its woes by sponsoring fabrications against the expressed will of the people of Edo state to re-elect Governor Obaseki in the September election.

“The APC, by now, should know that attempting to rig, by any way whatsoever, will surely be met with stiff resistance and dire consequences from the people.

“Our party counsels the APC to blame nobody but themselves for having a discredited nomination process and being stuck with a blighted candidate, who has now become a symbol of a direct affront by corrupt political godfathers and cabal to the will, ability and liberty of the people of Edo state to chose their own leader.

“The APC should blame themselves for presenting a candidate who was exposed by their party’s former National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, as a person of questionable character, a treasury looter, acid bather, rusticated student; a politician, who is only good for “night meetings” and unfit to hold office as governor of Edo state.

“The APC should also hold Oshiomhole responsible for indicting its candidate as a “fake pastor” that started carrying the Holy Bible because he could not practice as a barrister.

“It is indeed disgraceful that 73 days to the election, all the APC has to offer is blackmail against our leaders, after its plans to derail the election has been exposed,” the party said in the statement.

The statement continued:

“The public has not also forgotten how an individual, who came a distant fourth in the Imo state governorship election, suddenly became the winner.

“The PDP notes that it is only a discredited and rejected party like the APC that will enlist the services of known election manipulators, who have now started their assignment by sponsoring fake reports, to run its campaign.

“Our party cautions the APC to desist from their plots to rig the Edo election as the people of Edo will firmly resist them. The APC should rather blame themselves for their woes and get ready to accept their inevitable crushing defeat at the poll,” the party stated.