The national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has opened up on his encounter in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
Oshiomhole explained that he got wind of information that the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, was trying to prevent him from entering Benin and alleged that thugs are being “mobilised to stop me.”
The APC chairman also revealed that his shock reached a new height when the state Commissioner of Police, whom he informed earlier about the plan, called to say “he doesn’t want me to come because the governor doesn’t want me to come. I asked him why? And he said because of the situation at the airport and the number of thugs that had converged there.
“I said but you know the thugs, he said ‘yes’. I said; you know that they were sent by the governor, he said ‘yes’. He even said the governor’s CSO is there and one retired DSP.
“I said you know the thugs and the man who sent them, you also know their leaders if you cannot do anything to stop the governor because he has immunity fine, but the thugs don’t have immunity.
“Why don’t you arrest them? Why will you ask me instead, not to come to attend a private function because the governor does not want me to come to Benin? I told him I’m coming and that it is for him to provide the necessary security.
“So, I landed in Benin. With the aid of the security personnel at the airport, I was able to get out of the plane to the lounge and proceeded to the car and the thugs were stoning my convoy. Well, I got home safe. You have seen the photographs of the vehicles.
“They even had to move armoured tanks to the airport. I went to the function I came for and came back home. By the time I got home, the governor had ordered his people to use two trucks to block the road to my house. You can’t access my house from either side. My house is on a T-Junction. They blocked both roads,” Oshiomhole said.
The former Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) boss also said: “I have information that they would send boys to throw bombs into the house and that no one would be able to come to my aid. With that information, I called the CP, he said yes, the governor ordered the blockade of my house because he did not authorize my visit.
“I told him I came on a private visit and I don’t need the Governor’s authorization.
“I came to attend a burial ceremony of the mother of one of our members. Why do I need the approval of the governor to attend the function? They said the governor also said that he didn’t want anybody to come and visit me at my house in the evening.
“But then why should people not be able to come to my house? Am I in solitary confinement? I called the Inspector General of Police who then called the CP to provide additional security for my house.
“It was only after the IG called the CP that he sent additional security to my house. Right now I think they are trying to tow the trucks away,” Oshiomhole recounted.
