The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the major opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) are once again at each other’s jugular over who was responsible for Wednesday’s shooting near the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting at the state High Court premises, Sapele Road, Benin City.
A viral video had shown a gunman in PDP face cap on the rampage shooting sporadically into the air and causing pandemonium. He had emerged from an unregistered white Toyota Hilux loading bullets into a pump-action rifle.
While the sound of the staccato of gunshots reverberated in the court room, causing apprehension, the few policemen around appeared helpless to properly respond to the chaotic situation.
While the APC, whose victory is being contested by the PDP accused the latter of being the culprits, the PDP fired back, accusing the ruling party of disguising their thugs in PDP-branded attire “in a desperate and poorly executed attempt to mislead the public”.
The tribunal resumed full hearing today (Wednesday) in a petition filed by the PDP and its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, against the declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo of the APC winner of the September 21, 2024, governorship election in the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Reacting to the shooting saga, the state chairman of the APC, Jarret Tenebe, described it as “a deeply disturbing and unacceptable act of violence”
Tenebe noted that “The Tribunal is a sacred space where justice is meant to be administered impartially”, stressing that “Any act of violence within its walls undermines the very foundation of our legal system and threatens the safety of all involved”
According to Tenebe, “Regardless of political affiliation, resorting to violence to resolve disputes is never justifiable. We must all condemn such actions in the strongest possible terms. Violence has no place in a civilised society, and those responsible for this heinous act must be brought to justice swiftly and without exception”.
But dismissing APC’s claim, the PDP, in a statement, said the ugly incident was “yet another in the series of clandestine efforts by the APC to frustrate the legal process and tarnish the image of our party”.
Signed by the Chairman, Edo Caretaker Committee of the party, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, the statement expressed surprise that the police did not arrest the individual who was shooting sporadically in public without restraint though his face was clearly visible in the video trending on social media. The PDP’s statement read:
“The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State who are clearly scared of justice, have continued their devious ploy to frustrate our party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), from reclaiming the mandate duly given to us by the good people of Edo State in the last governorship election at the Tribunal and have now resorted to deploying thugs disguised in PDP-branded attire to disrupt the legal process, while pointing accusing fingers at our party.
“We strongly dissociate ourselves from the shooting incident that occurred today at the venue of the Governorship Election Tribunal in Benin City, the Edo State capital, and want to unequivocally state that this shameful incident is yet another in the series of clandestine efforts by the APC to frustrate the legal process and tarnish the image of our party.
“Pray tell, why would the PDP attempt to disrupt the only opportunity it has to reclaim the mandate given to it by the people of Edo State during the last governorship election? The PDP is aware that its only pathway to justice is through the legal process, so it would be utterly senseless for anyone to suggest that the party would deploy thugs to disrupt this very process and jeopardise its own chances.
“We urge the APC to exhibit more intelligence when concocting these lies and peddling their usual falsehoods to advance their devious plans. No one needs to be told that it is the APC that is orchestrating this chaos, resorting to disguising their thugs in PDP-branded attire in a desperate and poorly executed attempt to mislead the public.
“We also want to state that the PDP directed all its supporters and members to stay away from today’s tribunal proceedings. This directive was strictly adhered to because we anticipated APC’s plans to instigate violence and disrupt the proceedings. Unfortunately, we did not foresee that they would stoop so low, employing thugs and masking them in PDP-branded attires in their desperate attempt to cling to power at all costs.
“While we are surprised that the police did not arrest the individual who was shooting sporadically in public without restraint, we are calling on them and other law enforcement agencies to ensure that the gun-wielding thug, whose face was clearly visible in the video trending on social media, is arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
“The APC must, however, call their thugs, who they describe as lions, and tigers to order. The incident today clearly bears their signature of operation. The same tactics deployed at the tribunal today are being employed in local councils, where thugs are deployed to sack and intimidate duly elected council chairmen out of office. The same pattern is deployed in motor parks and markets, where thugs operating under the protection of the state government harass, intimidate, and extort transporters and traders daily without restraint.
“So, we don’t need to look far to uncover the truth behind these orchestrated acts of violence and intimidation. But we say enough is enough of this rascality and lawlessness! This must stop immediately before it leads to a total breakdown of law and order in the State”.