- Governor Obaseki accuses the APC of manipulating police to arrest PDP members, undermining the party’s prospects in the Edo governorship election
- Obaseki demands the immediate release of detained PDP leaders, warns that the situation could disrupt peace and stability in the state
Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state of manipulating the police to arrest members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In a signed statement, Obaseki alleged that the APC orchestrated these arrests to undermine the PDP’s prospects in the upcoming September 11 governorship election in Edo State.
The governor claimed that in recent weeks, at least 10 prominent PDP leaders had been detained by the police, supposedly under APC’s influence. He highlighted the arrest of Hon. Collins Aigbogun, the Chairman of Esan West LGA, who was reportedly taken to Abuja.
Obaseki stated that upon learning of Aigbogun’s arrest, he contacted the Edo State Commissioner of Police to request that the matter be handled locally and with due process. However, he said the police commissioner disregarded his appeal, which he felt undermined his authority as the state’s chief security officer.
The governor further alleged that a ‘rogue’ police team had been given a list of PDP members to arrest and detain until after the elections. Obaseki expressed frustration that his appeals to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) had not halted these alleged intimidation efforts.
He warned that the situation could disrupt peace and stability in Edo State and accused the APC of deliberately undermining the electoral process. Obaseki demanded the immediate release of PDP members he claimed were being held in undisclosed locations, insisting that if the arrests were legitimate, those individuals should be charged in Benin City rather than detained indefinitely.
Obaseki also criticized the APC for allegedly sponsoring violent disturbances, mentioning a specific incident on July 18, 2024, where APC-backed thugs reportedly created chaos on Airport Road, Benin City. He accused the police of failing to arrest those responsible while targeting PDP members who were not involved in the disturbance.
In response, the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, refuted Obaseki’s claims, stating that the police were not targeting any political party but were arresting individuals based on criminal activities. Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting in Benin, Egbetokun emphasized that the police’s role is to uphold the law impartially, regardless of political affiliations.
Egbetokun also mentioned that arrests had been made in connection with the killing of Inspector Akor Onu, the orderly to APC candidate Sen. Monday Okpebholo, and assured that those responsible would be prosecuted.
The APC campaign council’s director of media, Orobasa Omo-Ojo, promised to provide the party’s position on the matter but has not done so as of this report.