Jonathan’s campaign rice: Edo APC vows to petition EFCC, Presidency

By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN—All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State has described as laughable, the defence by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state that none of its governorship aspirants diverted rice meant for the state by the campaign organisation of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The party threatened to take evidence of the rice which indicated how the sticker of the aspirant was super-imposed on the sack of the 2KG rice while under it was the map of Nigeria with the inscription “Feed Nigeria Campaign 2015”, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Presidency for probe.

Some leaders of the PDP, led by Okharedia Ihimekpen, had raised alarm last week, alleging that the governorship aspirant seized the rice meant for PDP members during Jonathan’s presidential campaign and shared it to his supporters this Christmas.

They urged the EFCC and the Presidency to probe the matter, adding that it was the same way that funds meant for the Jonathan’s election were siphoned in the state.

But the state PDP, through Mr Chris Nehikhare, described the allegation as untrue, insisting that none of its governorship aspirants diverted rice meant for Jonathan’s campaign in the state.

However, the APC in the state through its state Publicity Secretary, Godwin Erhahon, who displayed the rice to journalists, said the PDP members who were allegedly denied the rice brought the rice to him.

Displaying the rice to journalists, Erhahon said, “You can see that originally, what was written on the sack was Feed Nigeria Campaign 2015. But the aspirant super-imposed his campaign sticker on it. Can somebody who is running for governorship write ‘Feed Nigeria Campaign’ in the rice he wants to share to his supporters? No. Rather, it should have been feed Edo State.”