Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is officially dead in the state, following a wave of defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He made the declaration on Thursday while receiving Hon. Marcus Onobun, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly and PDP member in the House of Representatives, who has now joined the APC.
Speaking at a rally in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area, Governor Okpebholo described the PDP as a failed party with no future in the state, saying that the people are now fully aligned with the APC’s development agenda.
“Last week, we finally buried the PDP in Edo State. I saw someone crying at Ring Road, talking about having 65%. 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.”
The governor used the occasion to reassert his leadership in the state and warned key political players, including Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, against visiting the state without his prior knowledge.
“The man wey say e no get ‘shishi’, I am sending a direct message to him. He cannot come to Edo without telling me. A new Sheriff is in town,” Okpebholo said, referring to Obi’s recent visit during which he donated N15 million to a nursing school. “He came the other day and donated N15m. By the time he left after donating the money, there was crisis and three people died in Benin. Tell Obi he should not come to Edo without telling me.”
Governor Okpebholo also accused some opposition leaders of contributing to the country’s problems through corruption and bad governance.
“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 and even ushered in Boko Haram and kidnappers. These same people now want to form new parties. Today, they are in SDP, tomorrow ADC, next tomorrow ADA. We do not need insecurity merchants,” he added.
While welcoming Onobun and his supporters, Okpebholo emphasized that the APC was not begging for members, but rather, people are joining voluntarily because they believe in the visible results of his administration.
On his part, Hon. Marcus Onobun said he was “back home” in the APC and pledged his support for the governor’s vision and leadership.
The statement has sparked criticism from the Labour Party and other opposition figures, with Chief Peter Ameh, National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), describing Okpebholo’s threat to Obi as unconstitutional and undemocratic
Comments 2