As the election petition tribunal sitting in Benin City begins adjudication on the September 21, 2024 governorship election in the state, the leadership of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Wednesday, enmeshed in verbal war over the alleged shooting at the court.
DAILY POST reports that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, its candidate at the election, Asue Ighodalo and six other political parties and candidates are challenging the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo of APC as winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
As the three-man tribunal headed by Justice Wilfred Kpochi resumed hearing of the petition slated to commence Wednesday, January 15, 2025, the state chapter of APC alleged that political thugs hired by PDP shot sporadically at the venue of the court.
A statement by the State Acting Chairman of the party, Jarret Tenebe titled, โAPC condemns sporadic shooting by PDP supporters at Tribunal venue in Benin Cityโ, and made available to newsmen in Benin City noted that a tribunal is a sacred space where justice is meant to be administered impartially.
According to him, โTodayโs shooting incident within the venue of the Governorship Election Tribunal in Benin City involving members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a deeply disturbing and unacceptable act of violence.
โThe Tribunal is a sacred space where justice is meant to be administered impartially. Any act of violence within its walls undermines the very foundation of our legal system and threatens the safety of all involved.
โRegardless of political affiliation, resorting to violence to resolve disputes is never justifiable. We must all condemn such actions in the strongest possible terms.
โViolence has no place in a civilized society, and those responsible for this heinous act must be brought to justice swiftly and without exceptionโ,he said.
Meanwhile, the caretaker committee chairman of PDP in the State, Dr Anthony Aziegbemi also in a statement, however, accused APC of the deployment of masked up thugs to shoot, disrupt tribunal proccedings.
He alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress party in the state was scared of justice which made the party resort to violence.
The PDP caretaker committee chairman statement reads, โthe All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State who are clearly scared of justice, have continued their devious ploy to frustrate our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), from reclaiming the mandate duly given to us by the good people of Edo State in the last governorship election at the Tribunal and have now resorted to deploying thugs disguised in PDP-branded attire to disrupt the legal process, while pointing accusing fingers at our party.
โWe strongly dissociate ourselves from the shooting incident that occurred today at the venue of the Governorship Election Tribunal in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
โWe want to unequivocally state that this shameful incident is yet another in the series of clandestine efforts by the APC to frustrate the legal process and tarnish the image of our party.
โTell me, why would the PDP attempt to disrupt the only opportunity it has to reclaim the mandate given to it by the people of Edo State during the last governorship election?
โThe PDP is aware that its only pathway to justice is through the legal process, so it would be utterly senseless for anyone to suggest that the party would deploy thugs to disrupt this very process and jeopardize its own chances.
โWe urge the APC to exhibit more intelligence when concocting these lies and peddling their usual falsehoods to advance their devious plans. No one needs to be told that it is the APC that is orchestrating this chaos, resorting to disguising their thugs in PDP-branded attire in a desperate and poorly executed attempt to mislead the public.
โWe also want to state that the PDP directed all its supporters and members to stay away from todayโs tribunal proceedings. This directive was strictly adhered to because we anticipated APCโs plans to instigate violence and disrupt the proceedings.
โUnfortunately, we did not foresee that they would stoop so low, employing thugs and masking them in PDP-branded attires in their desperate attempt to cling to power at all costs.
โWhile we are surprised that the police did not arrest the individual who was shooting sporadically in public without restraint, we are calling on them and other law enforcement agencies to ensure that the gun-wielding thug, whose face was clearly visible in the video trending on social media, is arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
โThe APC must, however, call their thugs, who they describe as lions, and tigers to order. The incident today clearly bears their signature of operation. The same tactics deployed at the tribunal today are being employed in local councils, where thugs are deployed to sack and intimidate duly elected council chairmen out of office.
โThe same pattern it deployed in motor parks and markets, where thugs operating under the protection of the state government harass, intimidate, and extort transporters and traders daily without restraint. So, we donโt need to look far to uncover the truth behind these orchestrated acts of violence and intimidation.
โBut we say enough is enough of this rascality and lawlessness! This must stop immediately before it leads to a total breakdown of law and order in the Stateโ, he stated.