Monday Okpebholo, the governor of Edo State, has come under fire from former Senate President Adolphus Wabara for his recent statements cautioning Peter Obi against entering the state without a security clearance.
Wabara warned that such statements are not only unconstitutional but also have the potential to inflame ethnic tensions and jeopardize national unity, calling the governor’s action “executive rascality taken too far.”
In a recent tirade, Governor Okpebholo declared, “Peter Obi should obtain the appropriate security clearance if he wishes to visit here.” Otherwise, we cannot ensure his safety. He will be responsible for his own fate if anything were to happen to him here. I’m serious.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Senator Wabara strongly denounced the threat and asserted that no state governor is constitutionally empowered to impose restrictions on the freedom of travel of any Nigerian citizen.
“Every Nigerian citizen is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof, and no Nigerian citizen shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereby or exit therefrom,” he said, reminding the governor, in case he had forgotten, of Section 41 (1) of the 1999 Constitution.
Therefore, for an elected governor to display such blatant, unbearable authoritarian tendencies is a sign of executive impunity, power intoxication, political lunacy, and egregious abuse of authority.
“Okpebholo’s threat is a disgraceful demonstration of his lack of awareness of the boundaries of his authority as governor. Or would it be a promotion of his scant understanding of the constitution’s provisions, which seems to be a result of his obvious academic incompetence and hollowness?
The senior statesman also questioned if the governor’s actions were the result of willful abuse of power or “academic hollowness and ineptitude.”
Wabara went beyond simply denouncing. He called for a formal assurance of Peter Obi’s safety in Edo State and an urgent and unconditional public apology from Governor Okpebholo.
“It’s unfortunate that Governor Okpebholo, who ought to know better after serving in the Senate, has flagrantly violated the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s constitution,” he added. He ought to apologize to Obi in public right away for threatening to kill him.
“Those who hold public office should be polite, respectful, and abstain from reckless vituperations that could burn down Nigeria.” Instead of encouraging actions that deepen our fault lines, they ought to be agents of national unity and cohesiveness.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was also criticized by the former Senate President for allegedly stifling opposition views more and more and driving Nigeria closer to becoming a one-party state.
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He recalled a similar incident where President Bola Tinubu was requested to “call his governors to order” by Hyacinth Alia, the governor of Benue State, who warned Obi.
“Those in public office should be polite, respectful, and avoid reckless vituperations that could burn down Nigeria,” he stated.
Wabara also cautioned that ethnic profiling of Nigerians is dangerous for peace and stability.
“Nobody should use political overzeal to drive this nation to its demise,” he said. Political interests should yield to the nation’s peace and stability.