In a dramatic showdown in Benin on Sunday, August 18, leaders from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) exchanged heated accusations concerning harassment and unlawful detainment of party affiliates.
At a press briefing held at the PDP state headquarters on Airport Road, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, the Director-General of the Asue/Ogie Campaign Management Council, claimed that members of the Abuja-based Intelligence Response Team (IRT) were making arbitrary arrests of PDP leaders across Edo’s three senatorial districts.
He alleged that these police actions were instigated by APC officials, who supposedly bribed officers to facilitate these arrests.
“It’s disheartening to witness police officers operating beyond their jurisdiction, armed with AK-47s and other lethal weapons, cruising around Edo State in Hummer SUVs and Hilux vans to intimidate and abduct our party leaders,” Iduoriyekemwen asserted.
He further criticized the APC for attempting to undermine the PDP’s campaign efforts, stating, “While we are actively engaging with the community and presenting our plans to the people of Edo State, the APC resorts to weaponizing the police against us, driven by the knowledge that they have a weak and unappealing candidate who cannot win a fair election. Their strategy seems to revolve around leveraging federal power to intimidate us into silence.”
Iduoriyekemwen emphasized the unacceptability of winning elections through intimidation, insisting that the people of Edo would stand firm against any form of coercion from any party, regardless of their influence.
He called upon the Inspector-General of Police, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police for Zone 5, and the Edo State Commissioner of Police to intervene and halt these alleged abuses by what he termed as “APC police operatives” acting unlawfully, to prevent a slide into chaos in the state.
The PDP leader also urged Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), stakeholders, and the international community to pay close attention to the troubling incidents occurring in Edo.
On the flip side, Comrade Orobosa Omo-Ojo, the Director of Publicity for the Edo APC governorship campaign council, refuted the allegations of harassment against the PDP, insisting that those accused from the PDP should be held accountable for serious crimes such as murder and treason.
Omo-Ojo remarked, “The PDP has become an embarrassment to itself with its incessant media attacks on the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies. Instead of focusing on their campaign, they have resorted to deceitful propaganda, highlighting their failure to formulate a coherent campaign strategy as their membership dwindles.”
He further claimed that APC members have faced violent attacks from state-supported groups in Edo, detailing a tragic incident where a police inspector was murdered, implicating the PDP in a broader conspiracy against the APC.
Omo-Ojo concluded by referencing a PDP official who allegedly called for the military to overthrow the democratically elected government, suggesting that such statements require thorough investigation.
