Several reactions has continued to trail the gone viral short video of the former national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) who was suspended with the dissolution of the Party’s National Working Committee and the Chief of Staff to the President,General Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Gambari.
In the video which ever since released has been causing several unrest from various Nigerians saw the duo in a conversation as they both worked inside the state house in Abuja, Though inaudible,the word “we will arrest them” was heard from Adams Oshiomhole while the Chief of Staff could be heard saying,”We will go beyond…”while the rest of the conversation could not be deciphered, Nigerians has taken to the public to air their displeasure over the content of the video stating that this could be related to the Edo State Gubernatorial Election.
The buildup to the Edo State Gubernatorial Election has seen a lot of dust raised from different quarters, as the former Governor of Edo State and Former Chairman of the All Progressive Congress Adams Oshiomhole and the People’s Democractic Party Flag bearer and incumbent Governor of Edo State Godwin Obaseki has turned the state to a war zone as they have constantly and openly attacked each other verbally while their teeming supporters has taken to the street to create social unrest.
Nigerians are apprehensive with the incoming Gubernatorial Election in the state as the build up to the election has shown the desperacy of both sides to win the Gubernatorial Election in the state.
While Nigerians has continued to react to this video, the Peoples Democratic Party Campaign Council for the Edo State Governorship Election has also expressed it’s worry and intense concern over the alleged plan by the All Progressive Congress led Federal Governor to use Federal powers to arrest and put behind bars it’s the supporters of the opposition party in the fast approaching Gubernatorial Election in the state.
This was stated by the National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democractic Party (PDP) at a press conference in Abuja, on Tuesday 18 of August 2020
The PDP spokesman further explained that the administration of the All Progressive Congress (APC) owes the Nigerian Populace an explanation on the trending video showing the suspended Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Adams Oshiomhole and the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the Presidential Villa discussing the arrest of certain people in the light of the firth coming election in Edo State
According to the Spokesman of the People Democratic Party, Ologbondiyan “ Nigerians were alarmed by the video in which Oshiomhole was seen emphatically urging the Chief of Staff to Mr President on the need to clampdown on certain unnamed Nigerians to achieve political suppression and submission ahead of the Edo election .
“ Our national campaign holds that the presence and involvement of the Chief of Staff to the President and the fact that the discussion held within the precincts of the Presidential Villa , have made the Presidency complicit and place a huge burden on President Muhammadu Buhari.
Responding to the allegations,the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity,Garba Shehu,stated the the trending video is nothing but,” an ingenious patchwork of mischief”
Shehu said this in a Tuesday statement that the video was extracted from an innocent conversation focused on the emerging incidents of violence in the run up to the election .
He said the President did not support violence of any sort and its propagators would be brought to justice .
In my opinion,the reactions made by Nigerians on the content of the trending Video as shared on various social media across the nation is a clear evidence that Nigerias are watching and closely monitoring the Edo State Gubernatorial election as they are wary of the use of Federal power to influence and manipulate electoral results. In the light of this a an equal level playing ground must be created or provided for all the participating political parties in the forth coming election in Edo State and in Nigeria at large
Also the response of Nigerians to the content of the video shows that Nigerians are keeping tabs on the new chief of staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari who many are hoping will re-write himself well into the pages of the Country’s History books. He must see to it that he does not involve himself in activities that will put him on the wrong side with Nigerians and also avoid the mistake made by his predecessor.
Marcus Amudipe