Edvaldo and Batalha clash on the radio: "Who is selling illusions?"

Sergipe 247 – Dubbed the "biggest purveyor of illusions in Sergipe politics" by Aracaju's Secretary of Communication, Carlos Batalha, the former mayor of the capital, Edvaldo Nogueira (PC do B), responded that the aide to Mayor João Alves Filho (DEM) is trying to deceive society, "playing with the conscience of the people."

The clash occurred on Tuesday morning (19), during the program “The hour of truth”, on Mega FM. The former mayor was giving a long interview to radio host George Magalhães, where he gave his version of the alleged millionaire debt left by his administration in the Aracaju City Hall, which according to João's allies, exceeds R$ 100 million, when he was surprised by the current administration's Communication Secretary, who called Edvaldo a “shameless person”.

“Edvaldo could have remained silent or tried to explain the chaotic situation he left behind. Now he's being incredibly brazen, insisting that he left money from the Social Security system. This money doesn't belong to him, it belongs to the civil servants. He knows very well that any manager who uses this money is committing a crime. He can take out a loan, but he pays it back later. He left resources from agreements and loans, but not the real surplus that he claims to have left,” said Batalha.

The secretary was even more aggressive, saying that Edvaldo doesn't know the city he governed for six years very well and that "instead of trying to explain the inexplicable, he should rest a little and let Negão work." According to Batalha, the former mayor is bothered by João Alves's performance, who is already overseeing a series of projects to be inaugurated this year, many of which were left unfinished by Edvaldo.

When he took the floor, Edvaldo said he wouldn't respond to Batalha with the "lack of manners" the secretary used; nevertheless, the former mayor was ironic and critical in equal measure. "Batalha is a communications secretary who doesn't read the official gazette, so he's the one selling illusions," said Edvaldo, referring to the Aracaju Official Gazette, which, according to him, was signed by Mayor João Alves and the Finance Secretary, Nilson Lima, and contains information stating that the former mayor left R$ 11,4 million in the treasury.

“I am happy to know that all the projects you will inaugurate this year were left by me; I provided the resources. Or do you want to say that the bridge connecting the Inácio Barbosa and Farolândia neighborhoods was built by João in three months? Do you want to play with the conscience of the people? The Visconde de Maracaju Square will be built thanks to an amendment by Valadares Filho. The project is ready, the bidding process has been completed,” stated Edvaldo.

He also emphasized that "other politicians sold illusions to the entire state, with grandiose projects that they never put into practice" and "left Funaserp (State Pension Fund) bankrupt, while I left Aracaju's pension fund with R$ 203 million," in a clear reference to Mayor João Alves, who has governed Sergipe three times. However, Edvaldo refused to mention names and said that "these things they are trying to do against me do not have João's approval."