The Labour Party in Edo state has dismissed claims by Governor, Monday Okpebholo, that Obi’s recent visit to the state caused unrest that led to the death of three persons.
In a telephone interview on Wednesday, the Labour Party Chairman in the state, Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi, dismissed the governor’s claim, stating that any violence or death recently recorded in the state should be attributed to the “court war” going on in Edo.
According to him, there was no record of any violence or stampede when the party’s former presidential candidate visited.
“I’m not aware of any incident of people dying in Edo State. If anyone had died because of Obi’s visit, we would all know.
“And the truth is that if anyone actually died out of violence recently, it is because of the court war they are running in Edo State,” he said.
According to the LP chairman, “many of them in the government are people of such characters, so whatever happened cannot be attributed to Obi’s visit.”
Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi holds that the governor lacks the power to restrict Peter Obi’s movement, stressing that Governor Okpebholo’s warning was contrary to the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.
According to him, if the governor was only bothered about protocol, he would have relayed his concerns respectfully.
He said, “While I agree that a person of Obi’s personality must be noted whenever he visits, I don’t agree with the governor, who appears to be seeking for approval.
“Obi is a prominent figure who cannot be restricted from any part of the country. Even if the governor was talking about protocol, he should have said it in a way that shows respect.”
Governor Okpebholo on Friday last week barred the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election from visiting the state without approval, declaring that Obi’s security may not be guaranteed if he does otherwise.
The governor claimed that Obi’s visit to St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing Sciences on June 7, where he donated N15 million for the completion of projects in the school, triggered the resurgence of violence, which, according to him, led to the death of at least three persons.
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