Why political violence occurred in Edo 

—Oshiomhole

By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN—Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State yesterday, at a town hall meeting in Benin City, gave reasons the state was witnessing political violence in recent times, saying he was happy to offload Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and other All Progressives Congress, APC, leaders who defected from the party to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Gov Oshiomhole

He said because of their “frustration and desire to tell PDP leadership in Abuja that they were working to attract recognition to themselves, they resorted to violence in Edo state.”

The governor spoke while briefing the people of the state, including traditional rulers from the three senatorial districts of the state, on the political violence that enveloped the state in the past one month.

Oshiomhole, who also reacted to the allegation by Pastor Ize-Iyamu, and Frank Erewele, that he (Oshiomhole) plotted the alleged bombing of Ize-Iyamu’s wife’s clinic penultimate week, and alleged destruction of cars at Erewele’s compound, accused the duo of “self inflicted wounds, arranging bombs in order to divert attention from the criminal act they perpetrated at the House of Assembly quarters.”

He said: “Erewele has never won his booth as an APC member so, of what relevance is he that I will want to kill him? Again, everybody knows Ize-Iyamu’s house. So, if we want to kill him, why will we go to his wife’s clinic, not even the clinic but the gateman’s house.

If we are a violent party, why have we not attacked Dan Orbih or Lucky Imasuen who are the main decision makers in PDP? Why will we attack Ize-Iyamu and Erewele who are still struggling to be admitted into the mainstream of PDP? So, that allegation is not only laughable but foolish.”

The governor, who said PDP leaders also plotted to ground the economy of the state in February by planning to block the passage of the 2015 budget after the failed alleged impeachment plot, hailed the House of Assembly, led by Speaker Uyi Igbe, for the recent passage of the 2015 budget, which, according to him, “is another victory over the forces of darkness.”

Oshiomhole said, “It is true that some people plotted, believing that they can impeach me and short circuit the political process. They voted huge sums of money with which they convinced five APC lawmakers to join the four they already had to become nine.

They were on the verge of procuring more accomplices hoping that they would gain at least 13 and if they had 13 out of 24, then they would have had a simple majority. With a simple majority they cannot impeach but will be able to block the budget.

“Once they blocked the budget they would have paralysed the government.”

-