The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Jarret Tenebe, has issued a direct threat against Labour Party leader and former presidential candidate Peter Obi, warning him not to enter the state without explicit permission.
In a video currently making the rounds on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Tenebe declared:
“Peter Obi cannot come to Edo State without permission because of the intense hatred many of us, including myself, have for him. There’s a deep-rooted hatred for him in this state, and anyone who stands in our way will be smoked out.”
The remark has since gone viral, drawing criticism from political observers and citizens who condemned the rhetoric as inflammatory and dangerous.
Tenebe’s comment also comes days after Governor Monday Okpebholo issued a similar threat to Obi.
Speaking in pidgin and English, the governor said, “The man wey say e no get ‘shishi’, I am sending a direct message to him. He cannot come to Edo without telling me. A new Sheriff is in town.
“He came the other day and donated N15m. By the time he left after donating the money, there was crisis and three people died in Benin. Tell Obi he should not come to Edo without telling me.
“We are not lobbying anyone to join APC, they are coming because they see the results of our governance. In 2027, 2.5 million votes from Edo are guaranteed for President Bola Tinubu.
“Last week, we finally buried the PDP in Edo State. I saw someone crying at Ring Road, talking about having 65%. That is what we call social media winning. When I said I would become the governor, I meant it. Today, we are turning Edo into a construction site, and they can see it.”