Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State was on Wednesday seriously embarrassed by angry youths who reportedly booed and jeered at him forcing him to abandon a ward meeting of the All Progressives Congress, APC, at Oredo local government area.
The governor’s Oredo visit was part of his ongoing consultations and meetings with party members at the wards aimed at strengthening the APC structure across the state and mobilise support ahead of the 2027 elections.
Recall that Governor Okpebholo had consistently promised President Bola Tinubu between 2.5m and 3.5m votes.
Newsmata.com.ng learnt that trouble started no sooner Governor Okpebholo wanted to address the gathering than the youths became unruly and began to shout, “oppression, oppression” and “no more neglect, no more use-and-dump.”
The aggrieved youths, who disrupted the governor’s address at Oredo East meeting held at Garrick Memorial School ground along Ekenwan Road, accused the government of neglecting them after they allegedly worked for his election in 2024.
It was learned that several attempts by the governor to address party faithful were resisted by the protesters who forced him to stop the persistent hecklings.
One of the participants at the meeting who identified herself simply as Madam Esohe, said, “the area was tense. The youths defied all entreaties by party leaders and continued to chant that they had been “dumped and neglected” after supporting the governor’s emergence during the election.
The development, according to her, created confusion at the meeting as attempts to continue the engagement was frustrated by the youths’ repeated interruptions.
The meeting, which was part of the governor’s ongoing engagements with APC members across wards in the state consequently ended abruptly.
The disruption at Ward 3 has introduced fresh twist into the party’s grassroots engagement, with allegations and counter-allegations emerging over what transpired at the meeting.
It was gathered on Wednesday that loyalists of the governor are reportedly accusing a party leader identified simply as Comrade Adams, of orchestrating the protest and booing of the governor.
