Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has declared that former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, must obtain official security approval before visiting the state in the future.
This declaration follows Obi’s recent trip to Benin City on July 7, where he donated ₦15 million to St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing Sciences to support ongoing development at the institution.
Speaking on Friday during the formal defection of Marcus Onobun—the last remaining federal lawmaker from the opposition in the state—into the All Progressives Congress (APC), Okpebholo criticized Obi’s visit. He claimed that the visit coincided with an uptick in violence, linking it to the deaths of three individuals shortly after Obi’s departure.
“The same person who claimed he had no money came here and gave ₦15 million. Where did it come from? Soon after his visit, three lives were lost. That is why I’m saying he cannot enter this state again without clearance from the appropriate authorities,” the governor said.
He described Onobun’s move to the APC as a decisive blow to the PDP in Edo, asserting that the APC now has firm political control in the state.
“We’re not pleading with anyone to join us. People are crossing over because they see progress. By 2027, we’ll deliver 2.5 million votes from Edo to President Bola Tinubu. We’ve transformed Edo into an active construction hub, and everyone can see that,” Okpebholo said.
He dismissed the opposition’s claims of popularity as nothing more than social media illusions. “Just last week, we buried PDP in this state. I saw someone at Ring Road lamenting that they still have 65 percent. That’s what we call imaginary victory online,” he added.
Okpebholo also accused several opposition figures of mismanaging public funds and contributing to insecurity, alleging that some diverted funds meant for rail projects, failed to improve basic infrastructure during their tenure, and played roles in the spread of terrorism.
“Some of them stole funds meant for the railways. Some held top positions for years but didn’t even construct access roads to their hometowns. Others sold off public assets and allowed insurgency and kidnapping to flourish. Now they jump from one political party to another — SDP today, ADC tomorrow. We don’t need such people here,” he said.
The APC’s Acting Deputy State Chairman, Sylvester Aigboboh, described Onobun’s defection as a major gain for the party, especially ahead of an upcoming senatorial by-election. He predicted that more members of the opposition would soon switch sides as preparations for the 2027 elections gain momentum.
Onobun, who represents Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben Federal Constituency, explained that his decision to join the APC was based on both personal beliefs and political strategy.
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