Despite a trending video in which he was captured warning Mr. Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 general elections that his safety would not be guaranteed should he visit Edo State without his permission as the “new sheriff in town”, Governor Monday Okpebholo on Sunday denied issuing any form of threat to Obi, describing the outrage that trailed his remarks as “misinterpretations”.
Governor Okpebholo however took another swipe at Obi, who he claimed, “as Governor of Anambra State, detained Nasir El-Rufai when he visited”.
This was in reference to a 2013 episode during which el-Rufai was restricted to his hotel room for 48 hours by men of the state security service (SSS) during a governorship election in Anambra State.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that Okpebholo’s warning to Obi during a political rally at Uromi on Friday (July 18, 2025) where a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, member of the House of Representatives, Onobun was received into the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, had attracted severe backlash, the latest reaction being from fiery lawyer and human rights defender, Femi Falana, senior advocate of Nigeria, SAN, and the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
In a statement on Sunday, Falana not only demanded the withdrawal of the threat and an apology to Obi but also counseled the former Anambra State governor to approach the Federal High Court in Benin to seek the enforcement of his fundamental right to life.
According to Falana, “In view of Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, which stipulates that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government, Governor Okpebholo should withdraw the threat, apologise publicly to Mr. Peter Obi and assure him of the safety of his life in Edo State.
“However, if Governor Okpebholo does not withdraw the illegal threat because of sheer arrogance of raw power, Mr. Peter Obi should proceed to file an application in the Benin Judicial Division of the Federal High Court to secure the enforcement of his fundamental right to life”.
Knocking Okpebholo for the threat, the interim national publicity secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, at the weekend, decried what he termed a “worrying trend” of APC governors obstructing opposition figures from visiting states under their contro.
Abdullahi insisted that “Nigeria is a free country, and every citizen has the right to move freely across the federation”, stressing that “We don’t need visas to visit our own states”.
Accusing the ruling APC of resorting to intimidation tactics, the ADC spokesperson said, “Since the APC failed to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, their new strategy appears to be issuing threats, warning opposition not to enter certain states. This undermines democracy and must be resisted”.
However, in an attempt at damage control, the Edo State Government, in a statement on Sunday signed by the chief press secretary to the governor, Fred Itua, vehemently denied threatening Obi, “but rather emphasised the need for high-profile individuals, particularly politically exposed persons, to notify and seek security clearance from the Governor before embarking on any public engagements within the state”.
Itua warned that “the Governor’s concerns should not be twisted for political mileage by individuals seeking to score cheap points”, adding that “he State Government will not fold its arms and allow politically motivated activities to endanger lives” as “leaders, no matter how highly placed”, were expected “to align with the protocols and security realities of the areas they visit”.
He reminded that “As the Chief Security Officer of Edo State, it is the Governor’s constitutional responsibility to safeguard the lives and property of all residents and visitors alike. This duty includes ensuring that adequate security measures are put in place during high-profile visits or events that may attract large crowds or media attention. When such protocols are ignored, it creates serious security vulnerabilities, not only for the visitor but also for citizens who may be caught in avoidable threats”.
Itua said his principal’s position was particularly relevant “in light of the rising attacks and abductions of religious leaders, especially Catholic priests and Christian clerics”, adding, “Edo State has witnessed its share of these tragic incidents, including the abduction of seminarians and the killing of clergy in recent years”.
While therefore acknowledging the noble intent in public donations made to churches, hospitals, or other faith-based institutions, Itua said this “must be approached with caution and in full consultation with the appropriate security channels, to avoid exposing these institutions and their leaders to further danger”.
Explaining that the governor’s comments on the need for discretion in public giving were rooted in both “security intelligence and moral responsibility”, Itua cited the Holy Scripture which “reminds us that giving is best done in private, as Jesus admonished us in Matthew 6 : 2 – 4 that, “when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpet…but when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
The statement concluded by expressing Governor Okpebholo’s commitment to “a safe and inclusive Edo State for all”, saying that his administration was “working tirelessly to address the insecurity it inherited, and his call for coordination and orderliness should be seen as a measure of responsible governance, not hostility”.
Itua assured that the state government would continue to welcome all well-meaning Nigerians, “provided appropriate security and procedural protocols are respected”.