The Edo State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), on Friday, insisted that the secretariat along the Benin Airport Road taken over by the APC on Friday remained its official secretariat as it holds the tenancy to the property.

Besides, the party noted that the way am manner the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC), led by its State Chairman, Jaret Tenebe, on Thursday afternoon was an invitation to anarchy in the state and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call Governor Monday Okpebholo and the APC to order before the situation degenerated.

Addressing a press conference in Benin, Edo State PDP Chairman, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, in the company of the party’s Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare and the Director General of the PDP Governorship Campaign Council for the September 21, 2024, gubernatorial election, Matthew Iduoriyenkewen, lamented that terror now reigned in the state.

Aziegbemi, who said that he was at the secretariat when the party came at about 1.31 pm on Thursday, said that he immediately put a call across to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Aideyan Police Station, but the DPO did not arrive at the secretariat until 2.42 pm from a distance of less than five minutes drive.

The PDP state chairman said that the property housing the PDP secretariat is owned by a private individual and wondered why the APC chairman did not toe the path of civilisation by contacting the landlord if indeed the APC had a subsisting seven-year tenancy agreement on the property.

Describing the invasion and ransacking of the PDP secretariat as “executive recklessness which points to one direction, anarchy”, Aziegbemi noted that “the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State has continued its brigandage, illegality, and violent assault on democracy, and we are deeply worried that if unabated, may snowball into a breakdown of law and order, leading to anarchy and chaos in the State.”

The PDP State Chairman explained what happened in a press statement titled, “Criminal Trespass, Breaking and Entry, Stealing and Malicious Damage”, thus:

“At 1.31 pm yesterday, January 16, 2025, the APC, using several Hilux vans and other vehicles led by Jarret Tenebe deployed their thugs, backed by police officers from the Government House, to sack the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from its secretariat on Airport Road, Benin City, the Edo State capital.

“The entire operation was violent and brutal as has never been heard of or seen before and sadly it lasted for more than an hour. The secretariat was vandalized, and there was wreckage and destruction everywhere.

Banners and other materials were taken off and destroyed. Lives were put in danger, including mine as the Chairman of the PDP in Edo State. I was forcefully bundled out of my office with the help of Mr Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Blessing Agbebaku. amidst brutal assault and violence against my person.

“No doubt, this is arguably the worst attack on democracy in any part of Nigeria since the nation’s return to democracy in 1999. Even military regimes before 1999 were not as violent or brutal against dissenting voices as the Okpebholo-led government since they took over office on November 12, 2024.

“Today’s violent takeover of the PDP Secretariat by Okpebholo and the APC is a clear reflection of the reign of terror that the people of Edo State have witnessed over the past two months.

“We state unequivocally that we are the legitimate tenants of the said property. It is the same devious tactics deployed to sack and intimidate duly elected council chairmen and the vice chairmen out of office, using horse whips and other dangerous weapons.

“It is the same pattern that is deployed in motor parks and markets, where thugs operating under the protection of the state government harass, intimidate, and extort transporters and traders daily without restraint

“We must unequivocally state that Edo is at the precipice. Democracy in Edo State is on fire.

“Worst still, the police and other security agencies in the State who are supposed to put them in check appear to be either complacent or complicit.”

He therefore called “on the Federal Government, international agencies, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to rein in Governor Okpebholo, who has become an unleashed force of lawlessness, and let him know the limits of his power as a governor and put an end to this executive rascality, illegality, brigandage and brazen assault on democracy.

“Again, we warn that the wind currently blowing in Edo State is an ill wind, which will blow no one no good.”, Aziegbemi warned.