Senator Monday Okpebholo, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was reportedly attacked on Thursday while traveling from Benin Airport. The attackers are alleged to be members of the Edo State Security Network and state-sponsored thugs led by Francis Inegbeniki. According to a statement by Okpebholo’s legislative aide on Media and Communication, Godswill Inegbe, there was one casualty, and Okpebholo, along with others who sustained injuries, has been hospitalized. Three mobile policemen in Okpebholo’s security detail were injured, and one has been declared dead.
Simultaneously, the Edo State Government accused individuals, purportedly collaborating with former Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu, of willfully destroying state facilities under the guise of enforcing a judgment reinstating him in office. Shaibu allegedly led thugs through the Airport Road axis of Benin City, causing havoc and attacking citizens. The Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare, warned Shaibu against resorting to violence and reminded him that he is not above the law and will be held accountable for any destruction.
In related news, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused the APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo, of presenting falsified and conflicting birth records to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the September 21, 2024, Edo State Governorship election. The PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, stated that this allegation, along with previous accusations of submitting a forged INEC voter card, highlights the APC’s deceitful tactics. Ologunagba warned that such tendencies in governance could undermine ethical standards, promote mediocrity, and institutionalize fraud, ultimately harming the development and wellbeing of Edo State’s people.