Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has issued a stern warning to Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, cautioning him not to visit the state without prior notice.
Speaking in Uromi on Friday during a defection rally for Marcus Onobun, a former speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly and current lawmaker representing Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben Federal Constituency, Okpebholo said Obi’s safety in Edo could not be guaranteed if he failed to seek permission before visiting.
“The man wey say he no get shishi, I am sending a direct message to him. There is a new sheriff in town. He cannot come to Edo without telling me because his security will never be guaranteed. Whatever happens to him when he is in Edo State, he will take it. I am serious about it,” Okpebholo declared to a cheering crowd.
The governor’s comments come nearly two weeks after Obi visited Edo and donated N15 million to the St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing in Benin.
Okpebholo questioned the source of the funds, ridiculing Obi’s past claims of frugality.
“He came the other day and donated N15 million. Somebody wey say he no get shishi, where he get N15 million to donate to people? By the time he left, there was crisis. Three people died in Benin. So, for that reason, tell Obi he should not come to Edo without telling me,” he warned.
Mr Onobun, the only PDP member of the House of Representatives from Edo, officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the rally on Friday.
Governor Okpebholo’s comments have stirred debate and sparked concerns about inter-party relations and freedom of movement for political figures within Nigeria.
