The Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned what is calls “Senator Monday Okpebholo’s constant pattern of deflecting responsibility and his most recent desperate attempt to use the suspended State Commander of the Edo State Security Corps, CP Friday Ibadin (rtd) as a fall guy for the lynching and violent killing of the travelers in Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government Area of the State, on March 27, 2025.”
Tony Aziegbemi, Chairman of the Edo PDP Caretaker Commitee, made the condemnation in a press statement made available to reporters in Benin City, the Edo State capital on Monday afternoon.
Aziegbemi stated, “this is most shameful and these ignoble acts of using his own appointees as cannon fodder to deflect blame. As the Governor of Edo State, Okpebholo is the Chief Security Officer and is, at all times, fully and primarily responsible for the protection of lives and property within his jurisdiction.
“The powers vested in him by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a governor come with significant responsibilities, privileges, and perks. Okpebholo cannot continue to enjoy the benefits of being governor while shirking responsibility when it comes to being held accountable or fulfilling the demands and expectations of his office.
“His primary duty is to protect lives and property. From the rising incidents of abductions, killings, kidnappings, and violent attacks, which have claimed at least 100 lives in the past few months since he got into office, the situation has now climaxed with the tragic lynching and brutal killing of 16 innocent northerners who were traveling from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to their home state.”
According to Aziegbemi “instead of taking full responsibility, bearing the brunt and taking deliberate steps to address the security challenges head-on, Okpebholo is once again shifting blame, this time onto the head of the vigilante group, Ibadin who he personally engaged and has now gotten the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest him.”
The PDP Caretaker Committee Chairman stressed, “the PDP strongly condemns this ignoble act in its entirety and warns that such deflections will not work. As long as Okpebholo remains the Chief Security Officer of the State, he must take full responsibility.”
Aziegbemi called “on the Federal Government, civil society organizations, the people of Edo State, and indeed all relevant stakeholders to hold Okpebholo accountable because security and protection of lives and properties in Edo State is his primary responsibility, not anyone else’s.”
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