By Newsmata
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, in a save-our-soul (SOS) distress call on relevant authorities for urgent intervention in the perceived dictatorship by Governor Monday Okpebholo in the alleged violent takeover of leadership of local government councils in the state, have called out traditional rulers, religious leaders and opinion moulders for their seeming conspiracy of silence.
Speaking at an emergency press conference following the reported impeachment of the chairman of Oredo local government council, Dr. Tom Obaseki on Friday, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, chairman, Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, warned that “If they imagine that this is about politics, that we should leave politicians to do what they do, it will get to a point where this sky will fall on everybody’s head”.
Telling them pointedly that they had let Edo people down by turning blind eyes to the ugly development, Aziegbemi raised the alarm over emerging dictatorship in the state, calling on the security agencies to step in, and the presidency, as well as traditional rulers and opinion leaders to intervene.
Newsmata reports that since the December 17, 2024, controversial suspension of the 18 local government councils chairmen and vice chairmen by the state House of Assembly at the instance of Governor Okpebholo, the government had launched an onslaught on the councils orchestrating the impeachments or defections of the leadership and councillors, with Oredo local government council chairman and his deputy being the latest victims.
The deeply embattled opposition party said, “We are drawing the attention of Nigerians and Edolites because of what happened in Oredo local government area this morning (Friday) where people not known and not elected took such an action”.
Aziegbemi disclosed that elected councillors had been hiding after their leader was threatened and attacked, but that they met and made a video after what transpired in their chamber.
The visibly distraught chairman said, “We are asking, what is going on in Edo? How can under this governor, how can he allow impostors to say that they have driven away the elected people in the council? “People that didn’t contest elections, people that don’t have certificates of return, they will just gather in one room and say they have impeached the leader of the house. That they have impeached the council Chairman, and everyone is quiet?
“We have said this before our traditional rulers, our opinion moulders, our religious leaders in Edo State. They are letting down Edo people. If they imagine that this is about politics, that we should leave politicians to do what they do, it will get to a point where this sky will fall on everybody’s head.
“So, we have deemed it necessary to invite you to have this emergency press conference and to call the attention of the President, the IGP, the DG SSS, to what is happening in Edo State this morning. And we’re urging them, very urgently for that matter, to please take this issue very seriously and deal with it now that they can still deal with it.”