The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has thrown its weight behind Governor Monday Okpebholo following widespread backlash over his veiled threat to Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections.
Speaking on Saturday, the APC state chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, justified Okpebholo’s warning that Obi should not visit Edo without security clearance, linking it to a previous visit that allegedly coincided with violence.
“The party believes that the governor was right warning Peter Obi to get security clearance before coming into the state because of the opinion people have about Obi in the state—especially when the last time he came here, three people were killed,” Tenebe said.
While the remarks have sparked outrage among supporters of Obi and civil society groups, Tenebe maintained that the party would continue to defend the governor’s position.
He added that the APC was prepared to vigorously campaign ahead of the 2024 governorship election.
“Now that we have our candidates, we will hit the ground running. We are going to campaign as if we have never won elections in this state. We want to let the people know that we actually won the last governorship election,” he added.