Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has declared that the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi, must obtain security clearance before visiting the state again.
Okpebholo’s stern warning came days after Obi visited Benin City, the state capital, on July 7 and donated ₦15 million to St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing Sciences for the completion of its project.
The governor, however, linked the visit to a wave of violence that reportedly broke out shortly after.
Speaking on Friday while receiving Marcus Onobun—the last opposition federal lawmaker in Edo—into the All Progressives Congress (APC), Okpebholo condemned the former Anambra governor’s visit.
“That man who says he has no ‘shishi’ came and dropped ₦15 million. 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,” Okpebholo declared.
He argued that Obi’s presence coincided with renewed violence in the state, which he said will no longer be tolerated by the government.
During the event, Governor Okpebholo also celebrated the defection of Onobun to the APC, describing it as the final nail in the coffin of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State.
“We are not lobbying anyone to join APC. They are coming because they see results. In 2027, 2.5 million votes from Edo are guaranteed for President Bola Tinubu,” he boasted.
He further accused unnamed opposition figures of past corruption and complicity in national insecurity, claiming they “stole railway funds,” and “ushered in Boko Haram and kidnappers.”
Acting Deputy State Chairman of APC, Sylvester Aigboboh, hailed Onobun’s defection as a major boost ahead of a crucial senatorial rerun election scheduled for next month.
In his remarks, Onobun, who represents Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben Federal Constituency, said his return to APC was both ideological and strategic. “I led the campaign for an Esan governor. Now that we have one, I cannot be in the opposition,” he said.
