The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have clashed over a planned protest in Edo State.
APC chairman in the state, Emperor Jarret Tenebe, said intelligence available to the party indicated that PDP plans to cause confusion and destabilise the state through the protest.
Tenebe said “We have received credible intelligence regarding some sponsored protests being planned in some parts of Edo State, scheduled for this week.
“We have reason to believe that these protests are not driven by genuine concerns of Edo State citizens but is, in fact, sponsored and orchestrated by certain individuals and some leaders of the dysfunctional PDP, with ulterior motives aimed at disrupting the peace and stability of Edo State.”
While noting that Governor Okpebholo respects citizens’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and expression of grievances, the APC chairman claimed the party has observed a pattern of misinformation and deliberate falsehoods being circulated in the lead-up to the planned demonstrations.
“These patterns suggest that the intention is not to engage in constructive dialogue or to highlight legitimate issues, but rather to sow discord, incite unrest, and undermine the progress Edo State has been making since Senator Monday Okpebholo assumed office as the Governor of Edo State.
“The APC in Edo State has identified specific individuals and groups known to be involved. Their actions are clearly designed to create unnecessary tension and potentially lead to a breakdown of law and order.”
The PDP publicity secretary in the state, Chris Nehikhare, dismissed APC’s claims, saying the party does not have the authority to issue such security alerts.
Nehikhare said, “APC must learn to differentiate itself from the government. It cannot assume the authority to issue security alerts unless the government has officially transferred its security responsibilities to the party.
“We are, however, not surprised by this development, as Edo State is currently “under siege.” The government has provided no clues or indications that it can address the state of insecurity it has imposed on Edo State. Unfortunately, in Edo we have a case of a butterfly that thinks itself à bird,” he said.
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