For most governors and other political bigwigs who arrived Benin City to be part of the Edo State governorship election Saturday, it turned out to be a misadventure, as they were restricted to their hotel rooms from Friday midnight by security agents.
The measure was supposed to apply to all politicians across board, as a means of preventing such personalities from influencing the voting process.
But the opposition party at the national level, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), alleged that the move by the agencies was intended to intimidate its governors who came to lend support to governor Godwin Obaski, its candidate in the election, while those from APC were left free.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, declared that decried the clampdown was targeted at PDP governors ahead of the polls.
He said “the siege as provocative and completely unacceptable, as there cannot be two sets of laws for the citizens of our nation.”
PDP alleged that ‘security agents were detailed to surround the lodging of our governors to harass and intimidate them.”
“Inasmuch as the APC governors are given liberty to stay in Benin City, our governors will not allow themselves to be harassed or stampeded to leave the state.
“At any rate, we are confident that our governors will not allow themselves to be stampeded,” PDP said.
PDP pointed out tht APC governors, “including the governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje; his Imo State counterpart, Hope Uzodima as well as the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, are left free in the comfort of the GRA, Benin residence of Comrade Oshiomhole.
While Secondus did not mention the name of any of its governors trapped in Benin City, it was clear that one of them was Nyesom Wike the Rivers State governor, who has been in the city to support governor Godwin Obaseki.
But Akawor Desmond, Rivers State Chairman of the PDP, was quick to warn that Wike had been trapped in Benin City, with as many as 300 policemen surrounding the hotel where was lodged.
“The attention of the entire people of Rivers State has been drawn to the siege laid to the hotel where the Governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike is lodging while on official assignment in Benin, Edo State,” he said in a statement.
“Recall that Governor Wike was appointed Chairman of the PDP National Campaign Council for the Edo governorship election. This is the same position Governor Ganduje of Kano State occupies for his party, the APC.
“Governor Ganduje and Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State are all in Benin, Edo State carrying out their assignment for the APC without any molestation or intimidation.
“And in a breach of the pledge they made, security agencies have decided to harass and intimidate Governor Wike who has not done any wrong.
“May I on behalf of the entire Rivers people warn that we shall hold the IGP responsible for anything that happens to our governor.”
Even Rivers commissioner for Information, added his voice to the warning.
“Rivers State Government rejects the siege on the hotel of Governor Nyesom Wike in Benin City. We are in a democracy. So, he should not be intimidated in view of the fact that he is the Chairman of the National Campaign Council of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for Edo State’s September 19 governorship election.
“We are afraid for the life of Governor Wike, a very harmless citizen of Nigeria. Rivers people will not keep quiet. So, no harm must befall Governor Wike, who is a loyal and committed leader of PDP,” he said.
