The Edo State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has warned of a breakdown of law and order, leading to anarchy and chaos in the state if the continued brigandage, illegality, and violent assault on democracy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state is not checked.
In a statement Friday January 17, 2025 in Benin by the caretaker committee chairman Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, he said that at 1.31 pm on Thursday, January 16, 2025, the APC, using several Toyota Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) and other vehicles, led by the acting state chairman, Jarret Tenebe deployed their thugs, backed by policemen from the Government House, to sack the PDP from its secretariat on Airport Road, Benin City.
The main opposition party chairman charged that the entire operation was violent and brutal as has never been heard of or seen before in Edo and lasted for more than an hour.
Insisting on the right of return, Tenebe had forcefully taken possession of the party secretariat, four years after it was forcefully evicted by immediate past Governor Godwin Obaseki of the PDP.
Speaking shortly after the takeover of the party secretariat, the APC chairman said the property rightfully belonged to the ruling party as they had renewed the rent for a period of seven years.
Tenebe pointedly accused the PDP, with the help of Obaseki of forcefully taking over the property from the APC when he (Obaseki) defected from the APC to the PDP during the run to the 2020 governorship election
Dr. Aziegbemi accused the APC of vandalizing the secretariat with banners and other materials taken off and destroyed.
He lamented: “Lives were put in danger, including mine as the chairman of the PDP in Edo State. I was forcefully bundled out of my office with the help of Mr Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Blessing Agbebaku. amidst brutal assault and violence against my person.
“No doubt, this is arguably the worst attack on democracy in any part of Nigeria since the nation’s return to democracy in 1999. Even military regimes before 1999 were not as violent or brutal against dissenting voices as the Okpebholo-led government since they took over office on November 12, 2024.”
He lamented that the violent takeover of the PDP secretariat by Governor Monday Okpebholo’s henchmen is a clear reflection of the reign of terror that the people of Edo State have witnessed over the past two months.
While insisting that PDP is the legitimate tenants of the said property, he likened the violent takeover of the secretariat to the same devious tactics deployed to hound and intimidate duly elected council chairmen and the vice chairmen out of office, using horse whips and other dangerous weapons.
He added: “It is the same pattern that is deployed in motor parks and markets, where thugs operating under the protection of the state government harass, intimidate, and extort transporters and traders daily without restraint
Dr. Aziegbemi called on the Federal Government, international agencies, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to rein in Governor Okpebholo, who he said has become an unleashed force of lawlessness, so that he can know the limits of his power as a governor and put an end to this executive rascality, illegality, brigandage and brazen assault on democracy.
