From Moshood Karim
The campaign trail of Senator Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, has once again come under attack.
The latest incident occurred at Ugbekpe Ekperi Ward 6 in Etsako Central Local Government Area, following successful rallies earlier in the day at Anegbette and Udaba.
The assailants, allegedly loyal to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), targeted Okpebholo’s campaign team as they arrived at the ward, marking the third attack on the APC candidate’s campaign in recent weeks.
Previous attacks on Okpebholo’s campaign were reported in Benin City and Akoko Edo. The Benin incident tragically claimed the life of Inspector Akor Onu, while the attack in Akoko Edo led to the destruction of APC campaign vehicles.
These repeated assaults have raised serious concerns about the safety of political candidates and their supporters in the lead-up to the governorship election.
In a statement released on Saturday, Osigwe Omo-Ikiroda, the Director of the APC New Media Directorate, condemned the latest attack, describing it as “barbaric” and a direct assault on democracy.
Omo-Ikiroda urged security agencies to swiftly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“This is not a political contest anymore; this is an open war on democracy itself, orchestrated by elements within the PDP who fear their imminent defeat,” Omo-Ikiroda stated. “We can no longer sit idly by while the government of Governor Godwin Obaseki arms our youths and turns them into pawns for violence and mayhem.”
He went on to accuse the Edo State government of failing its citizens by allegedly promoting violence instead of fostering a peaceful and transparent electoral process.
Omo-Ikiroda challenged Governor Obaseki and the PDP to publicly denounce the attacks and commit to ensuring a safe environment for the upcoming election.
“The people of Edo deserve peace, progress, and the opportunity to elect their leaders in an atmosphere free from intimidation and bloodshed,” Omo-Ikiroda added.
“These violent attacks against Senator Okpebholo, a man committed to peace and development, show the PDP’s true nature: a party that has lost the confidence of the people and now resorts to terror and criminality.”
As the tension between the APC and PDP continues to escalate, the people of Edo State are left to wonder whether the upcoming election will be conducted peacefully or descend further into violence.
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