IGP suspends APC rally in Edo

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, Thursday suspended the rally of a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) slated for Benin, Edo State, on Friday.

The letter suspending the rally has been forwarded to the Deputy Governor of the state, Philip Shuaibu.

READ ALSO: Respect rule of law, ACF tells Nigerian govt

The faction organising the rally is said to be loyal to the party National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

The APC in Edo State has been rocked by a protracted crisis following the near-endless rift between Governor Godwin Obaseki and Oshiomhole over control of party machinery in the state.

In the heat of the crisis, a faction of the APC loyal to the governor suspended Oshiomhole while another group, the Edo Peoples Movement, demonstrated their support for the party national chairman by suspending Obaseki; his deputy, Philip Shaibu; and the Secretary to the State Government, Ogie Osarodion.

Before the gale of suspensions, some thugs allegedly sponsored by the state government attacked the former governor at his country home and demanded his removal as APC chairman.

Few days later, a convoy of vehicles conveying the governor and the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, was also hit by thugs in what was described as a reprisal attack at the APC chairman’s home in Iyahmo, Etsako west local government area of the state.

The Secretary of the APC in the state, Lawrence Okah, had on Tuesday accused the state government of planning to import thugs from Kogi, Ekiti and Delta States to disrupt the reception rally for Pastor Ize-Iyamu, who has joined the party from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The reception is slated for Friday.

Okah said: “We are aware that the state government has recruited the services of the governor’s Special Adviser on Security, Mr Haruna Yusuf; and a former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Kabiru Adjoto, to recruit armed thugs. They have been mandated to disrupt the scheduled rally by importing armed thugs from Kogi and Delta states.

“We are raising this alarm so that the world will know that Governor Godwin Obaseki intends to unleash mayhem on the APC members in Edo State after he had perfected plans to join the PDP.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now