The chairman of the All Progressive Congress in Edo State, Jarret Tenebe, has berated his Peoples Democratic Party counterpart, Tony Aziegbemi, for accusing the police of biased conduct. Tensions between the APC and the PDP have intensified as Edo gears up for the September 21 governorship election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The PDP had accused the police of favouring the APC in handling complaints related
Aziegbemi mentioned the arrest and court proceedings against Olu Martins, PDP’s Deputy Director General of Media and Publicity for the election campaign, noting that similar petitions from the PDP, including threats against Governor Godwin Obaseki, have been ignored.
He also criticized the police for not acting on a petition submitted by the PDP regarding violence and property damage allegedly caused by APC members.
The PDP chairman further expressed concern that the alleged selective justice could threaten peace and fairness in the upcoming election.
He called on the Inspector General of Police to ensure impartiality and uphold the rule of law, emphasizing that the police should not become tools for political manipulation.
“This is to express our concern over the police disposition to a level playing field for parties ahead of the September 21, governorship election in the state.
“The party has witnessed instances in which the police acted in manners that suggest that they are a wing of the All Progressives Congress.
“The operatives’ actions and inactions at the state and national level in the wake of developments appeared to be that they are disposed only of petitions raised by the APC.”
“However, I, the chairman of the PDP in Edo State wrote a petition over comments by the chairman of the State’s chapter of the APC where he threatened to mobilise and lead youths to stone Governor, Godwin Obaseki.
“A video evidence of this threat and an accompanying petition was submitted to the Commissioner of Police in Edo State.
“Surprisingly, no action has been taken on the matter since the petition was submitted, unlike the swift manner in which the Police responded to the petition against the Deputy Director General, Media and Publicity for the PDP Campaign Council.
“On Thursday, July 18, thugs linked to the APC unleashed mayhem on innocent citizens along the Benin Airport Road, in the guise of welcoming the impeached Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu and the governorship candidate of the APC, Monday Okphebholo
“The ensuing chaos led to the destruction of property of law abiding members of the public and the unfortunate death of a police officer. There are video evidence and a newspaper publication of this incident which clearly identified thugs and members of the APC who carried out this wanton destruction of property and breach of public peace.
“A petition, to which all the evidence was attached, was again submitted to the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, unfortunately and predictably, the police commissioner has failed to act on this petition, and none of the people has been arrested.
“Rather, they have deployed a tactical team of policemen to arrest and harass at least 22 members and leaders of the PDP in Edo State, who are currently under heavy surveillance, in connection with the said public disturbance of Thursday, July 18, even though there is no evidence to show that they were at the scene of the said event.
“appear to be acting a script in selective justice, preferring and not picking the petitions over which it acts, preferring rather to be better disposed to attention to petitions raised by the APC.
“We will like to stress that the Police is funded with taxpayers’ money and is obligated to act in manners that preserve public peace, ensuring that everyone has equal and unhindered accecs to justice. We are concerned about this pattern of abuse of justice dangerously perpetuated by the Nigeria Police Force, especially in the run-up to the September 21 governorship election.
“We call on the Inspector General of Police to use his good offices and formations to ensure that the actual criminals are brought to book as against the innocent members of society being accused unjustly. The actual criminals are parading the streets freely and bragging about, that nothing can happen to them as long as they belong to the ruling party APC”, Aziegbemi alleged.
But responding, Tenebe on Sunday, July 28, criticized Aziegbemi, saying it was inappropriate to fault the police, especially considering they had recently rescued him from a kidnapping incident.
He stated, “For a man [Aziegbemi] that was kidnapped not too long ago while on his way from the residence of Governor Godwin Obaseki. He should realise that the criminals terrorizing Edo State are enemies within them. What the police deserve from him is praise, for rescuing him from his kidnappers’ den, and not baseless castigation.”
Tenebe further defended the police, saying that they acted appropriately in handling incidents involving PDP members.
He accused Edo PDP leader, Olu Martins, of inciting violence and overseeing the destruction of opposition campaign materials, while justifying police intervention.
“The two cases that Aziegbemi mentioned in his statement, demanded appropriate urgent attention by the police to discourage other PDP leaders and members, who are determined to visit violence on the electorate before, during, and after the September 21, 2024 election, which the PDP has vowed to win by all means possible.
“Olu Martins openly ordered PDP-known cultists to unleash violence on members of the opposition parties in Edo State. He went further to supervise the destruction of campaign billboards of opposition parties across the state. One wonders if Aziegbemi was expecting the police to allow Martins and his irks to cause more havoc, before arresting him.
“More debasing of Aziegbemi’s position is his fault finding in the APC’s petition to the Inspector-General of Police on the murder of Inspector Onuh Akor, the security aide to distinguished Senator Monday Okpebholo, who was murdered in Benin City.
“Hard as Aziegbemi and his PDP would want to subvert investigation, the circumstance that led to the unfortunate incident speaks for itself. Those who murdered Inspector Akor were stationed at the airport exit gate, in a marked Sienna Bus, with an Asue-Ogie sticker.”
Tenebe also addressed the murder of Inspector Onuh Akor, the security aide to Senator Monday Okpebholo, attributing the incident to the PDP.
He suggested that the attackers were sent to disrupt APC activities, accusing the PDP of attempting to hinder the investigation.
“What Aziegbemi is short of saying is that the APC’s supporters who had come to welcome the reinstated Edo deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, and the APC governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, decided to shoot at themselves. The incident does not demand special investigation skill to establish the fact that the killers of Inspector Akor were dispatched by PDP to stop the convoy from leaving the airport,” Tenebe added.