Tension is currently building up in Benin City, the Edo State Capital as the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), on Thursday forcefully ejected the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from the party secretariat.
It would be recalled that the PDP took over the former APC Secretariat when the then governor Godwin Obaseki decamped from the APC in the wake of the Edo State 2020 governorship election.
Speaking after the takeover, the State Chairman, Emperor Jarrett Tenebe, said the property rightfully belonged to the APC as they had renewed the rent for a period of 7 years before the PDP, with the help of Gov Godwin Obaseki, forcefully took it from them.
Emperor Tenebe said, “About 4 years ago, APC made frantic effort to extend the rent of this particular building which has always been the office of the APC. If you search on Google, you will discover that this secretariat still reads “APC’s office”.
The party in the state approached the national office to arrange so that we would be able to pay for more years for the rent of this facility. The national obliged us and sent us money to renew it for 7 years”
“The Governor then, Mr Godwin Obaseki decamped to PDP and in a military way, they took us out of this secretariat. Destroyed all our properties, took our vehicles and drove us out of this place.
“At that time, we complained to the Inspector General of Police and he, in his wisdom agreed that we should take over the secretariat. But because the Commissioner of Police in the state was working hand in hand with the then Governor, they refused to allow us access. Then, I was the deputy chairman of APC.”
Speaking further, the party chairman said he came into office with a commitment to reclaim the state and redress all the wrongs done by the PDP and Godwin Obaseki.
“The day I became the chairman of the party in the state, I made two promises to our party faithful; to make sure that APC take over the state and to ensure that all the properties taken from the APC are returned to them.
“Some few months ago, there was a governorship election in this state and everybody can attest to it that Senator Monday Okpebholo emerged as the governor of the state, fulfilling one of the promises I made to our party faithful.
“Today is the happiest day of my life, and I am fulfilling the 2nd promise I made to my party to make sure all the properties taken from APC are returned. That is why we are here today. To take over the secretariat that was forcefully taken from us.”
Tenebe said the APC will remodel the building into its official pattern and promised to resist any attempt by any group, or vested interest to displace them from the property, or any of their other properties.
He said, “Today, we have taken over this secretariat. It belongs to us now, we are going to allocate offices today. We have also called the painters to repaint this place to APC colour today because this place rightfully belongs to us.
“We are ready to resist anybody that will try to make any noise or try to do anything with everything that we have”, the party chairman concluded.
Several calls put across to the Edo State PDP Acting Chairman, Dr Tony Aziegbemi and State Acting Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare were not picked up, nor were messages replied to for their reactions.
