It was a free for all yesterday as thugs
suspected to be loyalists to Governor Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the All
Progressives Congress (APC)
governorship candidate, IzeIyamu Osagie clashed in front of the Oba’s palace in Benin City, the state capital
The clash happened immediately after the governor left the palace with other governors, who paid a courtesy visit to the Oba of Benin.
The thugs shot severally into the air for minutes before they were dispersed
by policemen keeping guards at the entrance to the palace.
It was learnt that while thugs were chanting proObaseki songs, those loyal
to his main contender in the
forthcoming governorship election clashed with them.
As of the time of filing this report, several persons were reportedly injured and
rushed to the hospital while others scampered to safety. The poles bearing the PDP umbrellas and their loggos
lined up at the Airport road were torn to shread by the angry APC youths.
Meanwhile ,the Edo State Media Campaign Council of the APC for the
governorship election has accused Godwin Obaseki and his party, the PDP, of unleashing violence on the people in Benin City following a confrontation
in which the governor was booed and embarrassed while trying to gain entrance into the palace of the Oba of
Benin.
The Chairman of the Media Campaign Council, Mr. John Mayaki, in a statement released yesterday, alleged that the governor instructed his thugs to attack the people as retribution for their public booing of his arrival with various chants
labeling him a thief and rejected candidate and for spurning his rally allegedly attended by tax-collectors
and mobilised thugs.
He also accused the governor and his loyalists of destroying their own
billboards at few locations in the state as a gimmick to deflect responsibility and
get a reprieve for the alleged
organised destruction of APC billboards after the party filed a petition with
the Police and other relevant
agencies.
But in a swift reaction, yesterday, the Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on Media and communication strategy,
Crusoe Osagie, alleged that
the thugs were sponsored by the candidate of the APC, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and former Chairman
of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adam Oshiomole.
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