Don’t visit Edo without clearance, Okpebholo warns Obi
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has warned the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to obtain security clearance before visiting the state.
Obi had visited Benin, the state capital, on July 7 and donated N15m to St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing Sciences for the completion of some projects in the school.
But Okpebholo, who spoke on Friday while receiving the last opposition federal lawmaker in the state, Marcus Onobun, into the All Progressives Congress, condemned Obi’s visit to the state.
He stated that the visit coincided with a resurgence of violence in the state.
“That man who says he has no ‘shishi’ came and dropped N15m. Where did he get it from? After he left, three people were killed. For this reason, Obi must not come to Edo without security clearance.
“His visit coincided with a resurgence of violence in the state, and this will not be tolerated,” the governor stated.
Speaking at the event, Okpebholo described Onobun’s move to the APC as the final nail in the coffin of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.
He said the APC was now in control of the state, declaring that all traces of the opposition would be completely erased by the 2027 general elections.
“We are not lobbying anyone to join the APC; they are coming because they see the results of our governance. In 2027, 2.5 million votes from Edo are guaranteed for President Bola Tinubu. Last week, we finally buried the PDP in Edo State.”
But Obi’s support group, the Obidient Movement, condemned Okpebholo’s declaration, describing it as a threat to national unity.
The group, in a statement signed by its Director of Strategic Communications, Nana Kazaure, argued that Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) guarantees every Nigerian the right to move freely and reside in any part of the country.
The group stated that, based on the rule of law, “It is disturbing and constitutionally indefensible for Governor Okpebholo to threaten or attempt to restrict this fundamental right.”
The Obidient Movement, however, noted that the Edo governor’s move against Obi was not an isolated incident.
“We recall a similar threat previously issued by the Governor of Benue State against the person of His Excellency, Mr. Obi.
“In both instances, Peter Obi was on missions of goodwill and charity, offering humanitarian support to citizens who have been neglected by the very governors and governments now issuing these threats,” the group stated.
It further urged the international community to take note of the threats, warning that if anything should happen to the former Anambra State governor, “Nigerians should know where to look.
“These governors are the chief security officers of their respective states, and their utterances carry weight — not just in words, but in potential consequences.
“We urge all well-meaning Nigerians to speak out against this descent into political intolerance and recklessness.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us. No individual, no matter how highly placed, should attempt to fan the embers of division or incite violence with careless, unlawful rhetoric,” the group added.
