- Says his safety not guaranteed without security clearance
The Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has warned the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, to obtain security clearance from him before entering the State going forward.
Governor Okpebholo issued the order on Friday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally to receive Hon. Marcus Onobun, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representative Member into the ruling party’s fold.
This development is coming on the heels of the former Anambra State governor’s recent visit to the South South state where he donated N15 million to the St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing in Benin City, for the completion of an ongoing building project.
In a viral video, Okpebholo was heard claiming that Obi’s coming to Edo coincided with resurgence of violence in the state.
Consequently, he advised the ‘Obidient’ Movement Leader to stay away from Edo State, insisting that his safety is not guaranteed without necessary security clearance from the Governor’s office.
According to Okpebholo: “He (Obi) came the other day and donated N15 million. Somebody that said he doesn’t give ‘shishi’, where did he get N15 million to donate to people. By the time he left, there was crisis. Three people died in Benin.
“For that reason, tell Obi he should not come to Edo without telling me. I am sending a direct message to him that there’s a new sheriff in town. His security will never be guaranteed. He must not come to Edo without security clearance.”
The governor also accused key opposition figures who he didn’t mentioned, of deep-rooted corruption and mismanagement, claiming some of them were responsible for derailed national infrastructure projects and national insecurity.
“Some of them stole railway funds. Some were Senate Presidents for years and could not build roads to their villages. Some sold off Nigeria’s assets These same people now want to form new parties. Today, SDP, tomorrow ADC, next ADA. We do not need insecurity merchants,” he said.
In his remarks earlier, Marcus Onobun said joining the APC was both ideological and strategic, adding, “I have seen what Governor Okpebholo is doing; Edo people have seen it. I am back home to support him so that our people can get more”.
Interestingly, Onobun is defecting to the ruling party just a month after agents of the Edo State government marked his house located in Iruekpen for demolition over alleged cult related activities.
