There was palpable unrest at the Edo state governorship election tribunal in Benin City on Wednesday, reportedly triggered by the sounds of gunshots.
In a series of videos on social media, a man dressed in a
white shirt, brown shorts, and white face cap, with a black nose mark, was seen
shooting a locally made gun into the air while shouting, “you must give us our
mandate”.
The shooting caused panic, with lawyers, tribunal members,
and attendees reportedly fleeing for safety.
APC AND PDP TRADE BLAMES
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) have since traded accusations over the shooting
incident.
Jarrett Tenebe, APC chairman in Edo state, condemned the
violence, describing it as a deeply disturbing and unacceptable act that
undermined the sanctity of the judicial process.
Tenebe accused supporters of the PDP of carrying out the
attack, claiming that thugs disguised in PDP-branded attire disrupted
proceedings at the tribunal.
“Today’s 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,” the statement reads.
“The 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.
“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 civilized society, and those
responsible for this heinous act must be brought to justice swiftly and without
exception.”
Meanwhile, the PDP has disassociated itself from the
incident, with its state chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, accusing the APC of
orchestrating the disruption to “frustrate the legal process and tarnish the
image of the PDP”.
Aziegbemi alleged that the APC was using political thugs to
disrupt the tribunal, claiming that the act was part of their “devious ploy to
manipulate the outcome of the governorship election”.
POLICE REACTS
When contacted, Moses Yamu, the state police
spokesperson, initially claimed he was unaware of the incident, but later
stated that the location in the video was not at the tribunal.
Yamu noted that the command would investigate the video to
verify its authenticity and location.
“The video in question does not depict an incident occurring
anywhere near the Tribunal,” Yamu said.
”To confirm, I suggest obtaining a snapshot or video of the
tribunal area and its surroundings, which will clearly show that there are no
construction activities underway.
“The video appears to be filmed at a construction site,
which is not located near the tribunal. We will investigate the video to
determine its authenticity, location, and timeframe. I assure you that the
incident did not occur at the tribunal or anywhere nearby.”
The Edo state governorship election was won by Monday
Okpebholo, candidate of the APC, who was inaugurated on November 12, 2024.
However, Asue Ighodalo of the PDP, who was Okpebholo’s
closest rival, is challenging the outcome of the polls.
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