Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo, has issued a stern warning to Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, against entering the state without obtaining security clearance.
The warning followed Obi’s recent visit to Benin City on July 7, where he donated N15 million to St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing Sciences.
The governor said this while welcoming Marcus Onobun, the last remaining opposition federal lawmaker in the state, into the APC fold.
Governor Okpebholo said that Obi’s security won’t be guaranteed if he enters Edo State without clearance, citing the violence that erupted after his last visit, which resulted in three deaths.
The governor questioned the source of the N15 million Obi donated, saying, “That man who says he has no ‘shishi’ came and dropped N15 million. Where did he get it from?”
“That man who says he has no ‘shishi’ came and dropped N15 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.
“His visit coincided with a resurgence of violence in the state and this will not be tolerated,” the governor said.
Okpebholo accused key opposition figures of deep-rooted corruption and mismanagement, claiming some were responsible for derailed national infrastructure projects and national insecurity.
Speaking at the event, the governor also described Onobun’s move to APC as the final nail in the coffin of the PDP in Edo State.
He said that the APC was now firmly in control of Edo State, declaring that all traces of the opposition would be completely erased by the 2027 general elections.
“We are not lobbying anyone to join 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. I saw someone crying at Ring Road, talking about having 65 per cent.
‘:That is what we call social media winning. When I said I would become the Governor, I meant it. Today, we are turning Edo into a construction site, and they can see it,” he said.
The governor expressed confidence in the APC victory in the 2027 general elections, predicting 2.5 million votes from Edo State for President Bola Tinubu.
He attributed the APC’s growing popularity to its governance results, saying, “We are not lobbying anyone to join APC; they are coming because they see the results of our governance.”
