Edo PDP Accuses APC Of Assassination Plot

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Edo State chapter has accused the country’s major opposition party of plot to assassinate some party chieftains.

Dan Orbih, the state chairman of the PDP, who made this known to Daily Independent on Sunday at the Benin secretariat of the party, alleged that the plans were being nursed by the APC and the state Governor, Adams Oshiomhole.

Edo State PDP Chairman, Dan Orbih

He said targets include the party members whose names were mentioned in Saturday’s attack at the state legislators’ quarters in Benin City.

However, Governor Oshiomhole has debunked the claims, saying, the attack on the legislators’ quarters was hatched by the leadership of the PDP. He said this during an inspection of the destruction done to the properties in the estate following the attack.

Orbih further alleged that there was a grand design by the APC and the Governor to eliminate top membership of the PDP as well as burn down their houses.


“Those to be eliminated included my humble self, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Lucky Imasuen and others. A foundation has been laid for that action with a report by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor that the Governor was almost lynched at the Benin Airport by thugs suspected to be PDP. We have it on good authorities that as at Friday night, the Governor rolled out a war chest and thousands of dollars were exchanged to about N180 million to APC thugs to attack PDP leaders in the state. We are highly disturbed by the activities and partisanship of the Governor; he should leave party politics to the politicians and face the governance of the state,” Orbih said.

The PDP chairman revealed that they had already sent a petition to the Acting Inspector General (IG) of Police and copied the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Zone 5 as well as the state Commissioner of Police over the alleged assassination plot.

Orbih urged the state police commissioner to take the threat seriously, and also pleaded with PDP members and supporters to remain calm even in the face of provocation.
In a related development, the people of Agbede community in Etsako West Local Government area of the state on Sunday blocked the Benin-Auchi-Abuja highway for several hours causing gridlock traffic while protesting the attack on their son, Hon. Razaq Momoh, by unknown hoodlums on Tuesday last week at the legislator’s quarters in Benin City.

The protesters which included youths and aged women, who were half naked stormed the express road in the early hours of the morning to block the highway after they got the news of Hon. Momoh’s attack.

Meanwhile, Hon Momoh is currently receiving treatment at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) following the attack.

It was fathered that the gridlock traffic started from Uromi and Ekpoma on the southern axis and up to Okpilla on the northern axis of the road. Some police officers were dispatched to the scene to ensure a peaceful conduct in the area.

However, two suspected ring leaders of the protesters were taken to Auchi Police Area Command for questioning. Arrangement is already being made to fly Momoh to Britain as soon as possible.

It would be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan was on Friday, on October 10, 2014, reportedly embarrassed by thugs loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State.