Following Thursday’s shooting on Airport Road, Benin City, during which one police officer, Inspector Onuh Ako, attached to the governorship candidate of the All Progressives (APC) candidate in the September 21, 2024, governorship election, Senator Monday Okpebholo, was killed, the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned the APC to desist from violence and prepare itself for the election.
Addressing a press conference at the state secretariat of the party on Friday, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, Edo PDP State Chairman, hinted that the PDP-led Edo State Government, as a responsible government, would “not fold its hands and watch hoodlums harass, maim and kill its citizens.”
The party, while condemning the violence that broke out when the embattled deputy governor of the state, Comrade Shaibu, arrived in Benin City in the company of Okpebholo, after his reinstatement by a Federal High Court, Abuja, condemned Shaibu for attempting to resort to self-help in executing the judgement which reinstated him, despite that the Edo State House of Assembly had appealed the said judgement and also filed for a stay of execution.
Blaming the shooting on the incident on what he termed the “desperation of the APC and its candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo to cause confusion and chaos in Edo State since they are obviously not ready for the coming governorship election in the state”, Aziegbemi regretted that an innocent Police officer lost his life due to the violence unleashed on innocent citizens by the APC, led by its governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.”
The PDP State Chairman counselled that Shaibu and the APC ought to know that when a matter “is decided by a lower court with the chances of appeal up to the Supreme Court, the status quo remains, and nobody can on his own enforce a judgement of a competent court”.
Aizegbemi also blamed the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Funso Adegboye, who he said was physically present at the Benin Airport when the shooting occurred, for not being proactive, when he had intelligence reports that the vehicles which accompanied the APC supporters to the airport were allegedly stocked with guns, just as he condemned the wanton way the APC supporters paraded the corpse of the slain police officer in an open van in crass disrespect to the dead.
“The Edo State chapter of The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed shock over the wanton destruction of property and the death of a police officer as a result of the violence orchestrated by thugs of the APC under the guise of enforcing the Abuja Federal High Court’s judgement that reinstated the impeached deputy governor of Edo State, Comrade Phillip Shuaibu. The party is worried about the desperation of the APC and its candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo to cause confusion and chaos in Edo State since they are obviously not ready for the coming governorship election in the state.
“The incident that happened yesterday at the Benin Airport was unfortunate and unacceptable. It shows how desperate the APC handlers have become in their bid to foist their candidate on Edo people. It is quite disheartening that an innocent Police officer lost his life due to the violence unleashed on innocent citizens by the APC led by its governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
“It is saddening to hear that an innocent police officer lost his life. The PDP expresses deep sorrow over the death of this gallant officer. We commiserate with the family of the deceased and pray that our good Lord grants him eternal rest,” the PDP sympathised.
According to Aziegbemi, “It is common knowledge that when a court of first instance gives a judgment, once there is a notice of appeal and an appeal for a stay of execution, the parties are expected to maintain the status quo. We advise the impeached deputy governor of Edo State to allow the law to take its full course and stop instigating violence in Edo State. He should await the outcome of the judgments of the Appeal and ultimately the Supreme Court.
“The APC is advised to reign in their members as no responsible government will fold its hands and watch hoodlums harass, maim and kill its citizens. He advised the APC to prepare for the elections instead of engaging in unnecessary distractions.
“You are invited to note that the Commissioner of Police was at the Airport where he reportedly showed Philip Shaibu a copy of the Notice of Appeal and stay of Execution filled by respondents. We also gave the Police Intelligence that in many of the cars waiting for the candidate of the APC and Philip Shaibu at the Airport were stocked with guns and dangerous weapons. POSER! Why was the commissioner’s order floated and he did not act to stop the violence thereafter?
“In all, human beings will always protect their self-interest. In whose interest is it to cause any mayhem in Edo a few months to an Election that the PDP is 100% sure of winning? PDP cannot work against its interest. It is therefore opined that the APC with their new convert, planned, executed (as always badly executed) plan to cause maximum fear in our people before the elections.
“We hereby call on the security services to thoroughly investigate the incident, carry out an autopsy on the officer that lost his life and make its findings public,” the PDP Chairman demanded.
Also speaking, the Director General of the PDP Governorship Campaign Council, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, noted that if the PDP had responded in equal measure, the crisis would have escalated, stressing that the campaign council would remain focused on its job of selling the party’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
Iduoriyekemwen also appealed to the people not to be intimidated by the happenings, assuring that Governor Godwin Obaseki, as the governor with the mandate of the people would ensure the safe of the lives and property of the people.
. TheWitness
