By Our Reporter
Barely one year after Senator Monday Okeholo, who incidentally is the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, governor of Edo state, sent a powerful message to Peter Obi, a multi-billionaire businessman and former governor of Anambra state and Chieftain of the Opposition African Democratic Congress, ADC, and the party potential Candiate for the 2027, Presidential election not to step into Edo state without getting clearance from him, the Obidents may have laughed at him.
Peter Ameh, the National Secretary of Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, had described Gov. Okpeholo’s warning message not to step into the Niger Delta region state ‘’as despicable and unconstitutional’’. According to informed sources the governor did not want a repeat of what happened during the former Anambra state governor’s visit to the state, where he had donated N15 million to St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing, which became the talk of the day in Benin city and its environs, giving the Okpeholo’s Administration a bad name.
In apparent response to Gov. Okpeholo’s unprovoked warning to the ex-Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023, Presidential election which was said to have been manipulated by Mahmood Yakubu, a professor and immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in favor of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of the ruling APC but the former Anambra state governor had dared Okpeholo, that he is not afraid of visiting any state in the country including Edo .Prof. Yakubu, may have given Nigerians room to believe that he had worked for the victory of the APC, Candidate, as he was said to have been compensated with the non- career Ambassadorial appointment after the had completed his tenure in office .
Obi, the former Anambra state, and ex-Labour Party, LP, Lag bearer in the 2023, general elections, may have kept to his words to visit any part of Nigeria as a Citizen as he had visited Edo state on February 24, 2026, to reach out to his political associates and to formerly receive Olumide Apata, a former governorship Candidate of the LP, in the state in the 2023, elections, to the ADC, preparatory to the 2027, general elections.
He was to have used the opportunity of the visit to Edo, to also visit John Odigie Oyegun, one-time governor of the state and National Chairman of APC, but may have stepped on powerful toes who may not have found the visit to the state funny.
The un undisclosed power brokers were said to have engaged thugs armed to the teeth who were said to have trailed Obi and the ADC, Chieftains, to John Odie-Oyegun’s residence with a mindset to kill him and kill his Presidential ambition for the upcoming 2027 elections.
An eyewitness account disclosed that the attack on the ADC, Chieftain and members of the Obidents’ Movement occurred during the formal defection of Akpata, the ex-LP, governorship Candidate in the state in the 2023, general elections, that had produced Senator Okpeholo, as the governor of the state.
A statement by the party claims that that killer gang had shot at the former National Chairman of the APC’s residence ad destroyed several vehicles, belonging to party Chieftains parked outside the premises, an indication that the country is gradually heading back to the Gen. Abacha era, where pro-democracy activists were attacked , forcing some of the activists to relocate to the North American country of the United States, US , United Kingdom, France and other parts of Europe , to sustain the pro-democracy war, with the local collaborators.
Many had expected Nigeria to be a safe place for Democracy to thrive after 27 years practice of ‘’Government of the people ,by the people , for the people ’’, which implies that power is created and uthorized by the people now that the pro-democracy activists are in power, epitomized by President Tinubu, the godfather of Lagos and other south western politicians, jostling for any elective position in the region but the reverse appears to be the case: intolerance.
Vice President, VP,Atiku Abubakar, during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Administration, and a former Presidential Candidate of the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023, general elections, and Chieftain of ADC, who could not hide his feelings, has strongly condemned the assassination attempt on Obi, Oygun, Oserheimen Osunbor, Akpata and other Coalition ADC, Leaders in Benin city, on February 24, 2026, describing the incident as unacceptable in a democratic society.
An aggrieved former VP. Atiku, , who may have been prevailed to drop his Presidential ambition and support Obi, to be the ADC, Flag bearer, in the upcoming 2027, general elections, was said to have expressed concern over what he had described as increasing reckless and inflammatory rhetoric from elements within the ruling APC, in Edo sate, warning that such language from the likes of the Gov. Okpeholo, would always fuel violence against political opponents in the state.
Pt on the garb of a member of the political class with experience, he had said that the attack on the foursome of Obi, Oyegun, Osunbor, and Akpata, did not happen in isolation but reflects a growing climate of intolerance in the ruling ADC, Chieftains in Edo state.
The Adamawa state born politician, described as a serial loser by, Wike, the FCT, minister, who belonged to both the ruling APC and the Opposition, PDP, had used the opportunity provided by the attack on Obi, Oyegun, and the ADC, Chieftains in Benin city, to declare that Nigeria, under the current Leadership of President Tinubu, is entering a dangerous phase where the Opposition figures are not only harassed through state institutions but are now being physically targeted for elimination.
He had alluded to the recent arrest and detention of Abubakar Malami, a former minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation during the deceased Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration, who has gubernatorial ambition in the upcoming 2027, elections in Kebbi state, on the ticket of the ADC, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, under the close watch of Olanipekun Olukoyede.
The Commission had released him after thorough investigations but rearrested and detained by Department of State security Service, DSS, which has Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, as the Director General.
The arrest and continued detention of Nasir El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna state and a Chieftain of APC, who was said to have parted ways with President Tinubu, his former political ally, and now a Chieftain of ADC, currently being rumoured of going to pair up with Obi, on the platform of the DC, in the upcoming February, 2027, general elections, as planned by Prof. Joash Amupitan, the INEC, Chairman, has raised fears of fresh political tensions in the country.
Political analysts’ major worries were that the ruling APC, had perfected plans to intimidate the Opponents in other parties, particular, the ADC, described as the rival party to forestall any challenge and enhance their vote buying strategy, across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The Party, may have tested the strategy, in the recently organised FCT, Council election, superintended by Nyensom Wike, a former governor of Rivers state and now minister of the FCT, under the present Tinubu’s Administration, where the APC, had won landslide , as the party had secured four Council Chairmanship position , leaving one to the Opposition People’s Democratic Party, as voters were said to have been paid between N30,000.00 to N5,000.00, in exchange for their votes by the APC, foot soldiers, on ground
Appealing to President Tinubu, described in political circles as a master strategists, former VP. Atiku, had urged him and the nation’s security chiefs, including the DSS, Director General, and Tunji Disu, the newly appointed acting Inspector General of Police, IGP, who has less than two months in office, to uphold their Constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property without bias, noting safeguarding that safeguarding Opposition Party Leaders and their supporters’’ is a democratic obligation and not a privilege’’.
He was to have sounded it loud and clear to President Tinubu and the ruling APC, governors, in the states that political differences must not be resolved through violence to avoid turning Nigeria into a laughing stock in the Comity of nations.
