By Jethro Ibileke
The Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP) and South-South ADC have lambasted the Edo State Government over Tuesday’s attack on the secretariat of the party.
The Coalition also condemned the shooting at the house of the national leader of the ADC, John Odigie-Oyegun.
Recall that suspected thugs had attacked the ADC secretariat shortly after a former LP governorship candidate in the state, Olumide Akpata, had formerly joined the ADC at the secretariat.
Several supporters of the ADC, including women, were reportedly injured.
Not done, the assailants, who reportedly came in several vehicles, allegedly moved from the secretariat to Chief Oyegun’s house, where LP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, and other dignitaries were holding a meeting, shot sporadically, and shattered classes of vehicles parked outside the house.
Responding to the incident, CRPP, in a statement by its Zonal Chairman, Dr Samson Isibor, described the attack as uncalled for, adding that the state was not known for such dastardly.
“The CRPP condemns in totality the attack on the secretariat of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the shootings at Chief John Odigie-Oyegun’s house during the meeting of the party’s leadership.
“Edo State is not known for such a dastardly act. All these are happening during the current administration, which is giving us cause for concern. We condemned the APC government in the state,
“The government is supposed to protect the citizens of the state, not to witch-hunt or intimidate members of the opposition. It is the beauty of democracy to have multiple political parties in the country, instead of trying to eliminate opposition members.
“We are therefore advising the APC government to stop all this brigandage, as it will scare away investors from the state,” Isibor stated.
South-South ADC, Condemns Attack on Edo secretariat, As Sen.Owie Denies involvement
The South-South zone of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) also described Tuesday’s attack on its secretariat in Edo State by hoodlums suspected to be political thugs as an attack on democracy.
The party’s South-South Zonal Publicity Secretary, Ms Mabel Oboh, in a statement on Wednesday, condemned the attack, noting that the incident marked the second time the ugly attack was launched on the party’s secretariat in Edo state.
According to her, “Preliminary reports indicates the involvement of members of a political party in the dastardly act.
“What happened to our secretariat in Edo is not just an attack on our party but an attack on democracy.”
Oboh noted that politics must never be a theatre of violence, intimidation, or harassment and that political participation must be safe, organised, and lawful.
In his reaction, a former Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Rowland Owie, described the allegation suggesting his involvement in the ADC attack as baseless and malicious.
Owie in a statement said linking him to the attack is not only false but represent a clumsy attempt by the rulling party in the State, to deflect responsibility for the actions of their own organized thugs.
Senator Owie said he actively participated in the defection of Olumede Akpata, to ADC, as a keynote speaker, addressing a distinguished audience that included his maternal relative, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, as well as Mr. Peter Obi and other party faithful.
He said to suggest the he would sponsor an attack on a gathering where Chief Oyegun, and respected colleagues like Peter Obi were present is not just a lie but an insult to the intelligence of the Edo people.
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