Earlier today, a group of All Progressives Congress, APC youths mobilised themselves to the Benin Airport in their efforts to prevent Mr. Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, the embattled National Chairman of APC from gaining access to his home.
Their plan was thwarted by the combined efforts of the security agencies that mounted security barriers at both the entrance and exit of the airport.
However, the security personnel failed to prevent the angry youths from hauling verbal attacks on Mr. Oshiomhole who the called unprintable names. Others entertained passengers at the airport with songs that portrayed the APC national chairman as a political godfather and corrupt politician.
He was escorted out of the airport by the security operatives, back by an Armoured Personnel Carrier.
The pro-Oshiomhole group was quick to blame the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki for the blockade that has become a regular occurrence, each time the former governor is in Edo State.
However, the state government had denied involvement in the increasingly public attack faced by Oshiomhole in his quest to gain political control of Edo State and in particular, to stop Mr. Godwin Obaseki from getting his party’s second term ticket.
Below is the extract of the release by the Edo State Government:
“It has come to our notice that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole arrived Benin today and was booed by a crowd of people. We are not directly or remotely involved in the act. We condemn insinuations that the Edo State Government is in any way involved in such an act.
“The series of anti-Oshiomhole protests across the country in the last couple of days, including those who jeered and booed Comrade Oshiomhole in Benin City, on Saturday have nothing to do with the government in Edo State. Oshiomhole, just like any other law-abiding person is welcome into the state as long as he does not engage in any activity capable of disrupting peace and safety.
“We categorically state that we are not in whatever guise involved with those who engaged in the act against the former governor.”
The release was signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie.