Kehinde Fajobi
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have engaged in a war of words following a shooting incident at the Edo Governorship Election Tribunal in Benin on Wednesday.
APC Chairman in Edo, Jarret Tenebe, condemned the incident, calling it a “deeply disturbing and unacceptable act of violence that undermined the sanctity of the judicial process.
He accused PDP supporters of carrying out what he termed a “dastardly act.”
Gunmen, believed to be political thugs, disrupted the tribunal proceedings while shouting, “Give us our mandate,” and shooting sporadically, causing panic among lawyers and tribunal members who fled for safety.
Tenebe described the tribunal as a sacred space where justice is meant to be impartially administered.
He stressed that any act of violence within its walls “undermines the very foundation of our legal system and threatens the safety of all involved.”
He continued, “Regardless of political affiliation, resorting to violence to resolve disputes is never justifiable. We must all condemn such actions in the strongest possible terms.
“Violence has no place in a civilised society, and those responsible for this heinous act must be brought to justice swiftly and without exception.”
In response, PDP Chairman in Edo, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, distanced the party from the shooting, accusing the APC of attempting to sabotage the legal process.
Aziegbemi called the incident part of a “clandestine effort by the APC to frustrate the legal process and tarnish the image of the opposition.”
“The APC in Edo, who are clearly scared of justice, have continued their devious ploy to frustrate our party from reclaiming the mandate duly given to us by the good people of Edo in the last governorship election at the tribunal,” Aziegbemi said.
He added, “They have now resorted to deploying thugs disguised in PDP-branded attire to disrupt the legal process while pointing accusing fingers at our party.”