By Sir Ralph Okhiria,
Kadiri Christopher
The Edo State political space is still being choked by more external forces who are suspected to be much more entrenched and interested in the outcome of the election.
The Reliance gathered that governors of Rivers, Delta, Kogi, Lagos, Ondo and Kano states, as well as Ashiwaju Bola Tinubu, are in the frontline of interest in the Edo State Governorship election.
It was gathered that no fewer than 80 social media influencers were sent to Edo State from Rivers State in mid August.
It was revealed that the governor of Rivers State, Eze Nyesom Wike allegedly sent an advance team which has more social media content developers to Edo State to give support to the existing media campaigners.
The advance team are said to be currently lodged in an apartment somewhere around Water Resources/Upper Adesuwa Road, GRA in Benin City.
Also, the governor of Delta State has reportedly added more force by sending no fewer 25 persons to the state. The suspected 25 persons who are majorly media men stormed the state at the end of August, this year.
It was gathered that no fewer than 80 social media influencers were sent to Edo State from some of the aforementioned States in mid August, this year.
But apparently not leaving the two PDP states to invade Edo political media space, the governor of Ondo state, Rotimi Akeredolu has allegedly sent no fewer than 120 set of persons to Edo State. Those imported to Edo State from Ondo are in two categories.
Some fell into the media area while some are majorly chanters, casting roaring languages to cheer up the APC campaigners and leaders. It was alleged that more of them from Ondo will arrive in Edo State within a week to the election.
The governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has suspectedly sent not less than 300 persons to Edo State.
The Reliance gathered that the suspected persons who are lodged in four hotels around the Benin-Lagos road, where duly sent to serve as counter to the forces sent from Rivers State.
These set of persons sent from these states are young men and women who ordinarily are supposed to be the future leaders, based on their educational background and sound minds.
There are speculations that the week of election will see more persons imported from these states and possibly from other states like Kano, Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom, Cross Rivers, Kwara, Kogi, Osun, Ogun, Imo and Oyo states, respectively.
The Reliance further gathered that some of the aforementioned State governors have already deployed some of their civilian strike forces to the state, to do dirty jobs before, during and after the election.
But Ashiwaju Bola Tinubu, on his part is said to be perfecting was to move several bullion vans from Lagos to Edo State, early next week to support his party, APC.
Edo State is special to the two major political parties – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), because the state use to be the only APC state in the south-south geopolitical zone, until recently when Governor Godwin Obaseki, decamped from the APC to PDP.
Therefore, the APC has vowed to reclaim the state, whereas the PDP is insisting that Edo is a PDP state and will do everything possible to retain it.
The Edo State Governorship election is scheduled for September 19, 2020.
The Reliance investigation further indicated that the forthcoming guber election may witness an unprecedented vote buying as never witnessed in the history of the country.
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