Adams Oshiomhole, national
chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), arrived in Benin, Edo state
capital, on Thursday, assuring his supporters that the rally to receive
defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will still hold.
The leadership of the party had
organised the rally to welcome Osagie Ize-Iyamu, governorship candidate of the
PDP in 2016, into its fold but the government of Edo kicked against it.
Philip Shuaibu, the deputy
governor, had headed to the force headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, explaining
that the rally could trigger violence.
Subsequently, Mohammed Adamu,
inspector-general of police, ordered suspension of the rally.
But Oshiomhole told his
supporters not to get discouraged, assuring them that the programme would hold
“someday”.
He also advised them to shun
violence, no matter the level of provocation.
“I know you are hurt with what we
are passing through here but I want to plead with you don’t be provoked. Any
reasonable party leader will be happy to welcome people from another party into
his party,” he said.
“Particularly when those coming
were people who fought us in the last election. And when you look at the margin
then it was like 50,000. So we are in Benin to welcome them but you can see how
their thugs are unleashing mayhem on people.
“But I want to tell you, APC is
our house and we will not destroy it neither are we going to allow anybody
destroy it. We don’t want anyone to be killed so, please don’t fight back.
Those who know me know that I am not a coward, I am not afraid of a fight. But
I will not and I urge you to remain calm.
“We are getting conflicting
report now, the IG ordered the Commissioner if Police to give us protection for
our rally. But we are being told now that the same authority said it has been
cancelled. But I am going to make calls and find out what the problem is, if
the police is saying they cannot protect a political rally.
“I will find out and let you
people know. But even if they said we cannot hold it, please don’t fight
anybody. I will meet them and find out when it will hold. But the rally will
still hold someday… Nobody can shake our spirit. We will receive our brothers
into the party to fortify our party.”
Oshiomhole, who was instrumental
to the emergence of Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, fell out with him mid-way
into the tenure of the governor.
Efforts made to reconcile the duo
have yielded results.
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