Obaseki denies violence threat as APC demands impeachment

The Edo State chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress, on Monday, traded words over the alleged threat by Governor Godwin Obaseki to burn down Nigeria if the police arrest his “boys” for the killing of Inspector Akor Onuh.

The police orderly attached to the governorship candidate of the APC, Monday Okpebholo, was shot dead on Thursday when the convoy of the court-reinstated Deputy Governor of the state, Philip Shaibu and the APC candidate were leaving the Benin airport.

Following the killing and the call by the APC for the arrest of men of the state security network, suspected to have killed the police officer, Obaseki, in a viral video, threatened that Nigeria would burn if there was a repeat of what happened in the state on Thursday.

Obaseki, in a viral 20-second-long abridged video, while addressing leaders of the PDP said: “We just kept quiet last Thursday, if they try what happened last Thursday again in Edo, Nigeria will burn.”

Reacting, the acting chairman of the Edo APC, Jarrett Tenebe, called for the impeachment of Obaseki over the alleged threat to burn down Nigeria.

Tenebe, in a statement, said Obaseki’s latest violent threat to Nigeria and Nigerians must be quickly tamed to avoid anarchy and breakdown of law and order in the state and the country.

“The last 24 hours, Nigerians have been treated to a melodrama wherein the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, gloated like a villain in a video, threatening to burn down Nigeria if the murderers of Inspector Akor Onuh at the Benin City Airport are arrested by the police.

“To say the least, Obaseki’s latest violent threat to Nigeria and Nigerians is a descent into madness that must quickly be tamed to avoid anarchy and breakdown of law and order in Edo State and Nigeria…

“The avoidable tragic incident of last Thursday, July 18, 2024, is a vivid example of how far the state-sponsored extrajudicial killings have been going on, but covered by the state government with deceptive reports of inter-cult fights in the state. It is time this madness stops. It is time to stop Obaseki before he carries out his threat.

“To forestall and end his unprecedented heinous plans, we are urging the speaker and members of Edo State House of Assembly to immediately start his impeachment process that has become overdue,” Tenebe said in the statement.

In a reaction, the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, accused the APC of putting a negative spin on the governor’s call to fish out the killers of the police officer.

He stated that what the governor said was that if a free and fair election was not allowed to be held in Edo State on September 21, it would trigger a major crisis in Nigeria.

“The attention of the Edo State government has been drawn to the negative spin that the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is fruitlessly attempting to put to the comments made by His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki, at a stakeholders’ meeting, on Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

“For the records, we want to restate the comments of the governor on that occasion which is that: ‘If a free and fair election is not allowed to hold sway in Edo State on September 21, 2024, it will trigger a major crisis in Nigeria.’

“Recall that on Thursday, July 18, 2024, ahead of the rally to inaugurate the APC National Campaign Council, in Benin City, which was held on Saturday, July 20, 2024, the party assembled a large number of people believed to be thugs, most of them bearing firearms around the precincts of the Benin Airport, on Airport Road, Benin City, to cause mayhem in the state, resulting in the unfortunate death of a police officer, Inspector Akor Onuh, attached to MOPOL 45, Abuja and the wanton destruction of properties and injuries to several citizens who were going about their lawful businesses.

“As they say, the morning shows the day and the APC has clearly shown their plan for the September 21 governorship election in the state, which is to cause mayhem, make the state ungovernable, and take advantage of the chaos to manipulate the forthcoming governorship election.

“We, however, want to advise the APC to, for once, read the mood of the nation and understand that with the current hardship, unattainable cost of living, and pervasive hunger in the country, a slightly irresponsible behaviour by the political class can ignite a crisis that will have a domino effect and cause a conflagration across the nation,” the statement read.

It urged Edo people to go about their lawful businesses without fear.

It also called on the Nigerian Police to do their job and apprehend the hoodlums, most of whom had been identified and captured in videos, carrying firearms at the location of the crisis.

“The Edo State government, through its robust security video surveillance, is ready to supply these videos taken in real-time to help the police in their investigation,” he added.