Barely three weeks after the Benin Airport attack that led to the death of a police officer, Inspector Akor Anuh, the Edo State Government and the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have again bickered over alleged plans to cause a crisis in the state.
According to report on July 18, 2024, suspected political thugs attacked the reinstated deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu and Senator Monday Okpebholo, the APC governorship candidate, at the Benin Airport on arrival from Abuja.
The attack led to the death of Police Inspector Akor Anuh, an aide to the APC governorship candidate.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Chris Nehikhare alleged that APC has a plan to orchestrate civil unrest in Edo.
According to him: “Our attention has been drawn to plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to orchestrate civil unrest and cause mayhem in the state under the guise of protests and rallies in order to advance their obnoxious political agenda.
“Our findings reveal that the APC plans to incite civil unrest in the State and cause chaos under the guise of riots and protests in order to disrupt the peace and stability of the state.
“The Edo State Government is aware of their evil plans, and will not sit idly and watch them unleash mayhem on the people and cause chaos in the State.”
He said further: “We call the attention of all security agencies in the State, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Brigade Commander, 4 Brigade, Benin, among others, to take notice of this heinous plan by the APC to orchestrate civil unrest and cause mayhem in the State. ”
He avowed that the state government would spare no efforts within the ambit of the law to forestall the planned attack on the state and its people and assured that anyone found culpable would be brought to justice.
While noting that election is not war, he, however, urged APC to refrain from its alleged divisive tactics and resort to violence.
Reacting, Orobosa Omo-Ojo,
Director of Publicity, Edo APC Governorship Campaign Council, opined that Obaseki, Asue Ighodalo and PDP are haunted by the ghost of their #EndBadGovernance protest in Edo State.
Omo-Ojo, alleged that the continued rehash of phantom puny stories by Governor Godwin Obaseki and his godson, Asue Ighodalo, is a reflection of their fear of reprisals from Edo State people.
He alleged that the Edo people recently capitalized on the #EndBadGovernance protest that was also allegedly sponsored by Obaseki against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to search for their hidden palliatives which the governor stored in the houses of PDP leaders.
He said:”Edo people will recall how the governor organised the anti-federal government protest at Oba Ovonramwen Square with N200 million, all in his bid to demonise Tinubu and APC and punish Edo people who he has deprived of their palliatives.
“But contrary to Obaseki’s expectation, while he was addressing his PDP members and political aides he gathered as protesters, the real protesters harkened to the call by APC to locate their rice and other palliatives hidden in Edo State Government warehouses and houses of PDP members.
“The real protesters that were present in Ovonramwen Square hurled water sachets at Obaseki.
“Since our charge to Edo people to take back their rice, over four warehouses and private homes have been busted by hungry men and women to collect what rightly belongs to them.
“The fear of losing the entire hidden grains had led to Obaseki’s sudden hatred for organisers of the protest who he now calls, hoodlums and thugs, the same group of persons he praised for causing hardship on the streets of Edo State.”
Omo-Ojo also described the allegations as a panic measure by the state government to curry support in the face of impending disqualification of PDP and its candidate by the Independent National Electoral Commission, over the alleged forging of voter’s card.
