Oshiomole vs Obaseki: Police Ban Edo APC Rally

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, has directed the Edo State Police Command to stop the planned rally of a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to Adams Oshiomhole.

Naija News reports that the IGP has earlier on Thursday granted approval for the rally to hold on Friday.

The IGP in a letter to the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, in response to the application by the State Government to suspend the rally for security reasons, the IGP directed the Commissioner of Police in Edo State to ensure that the rally is suspended.

Reacting, Shaibu, who is acting in the absence of Governor Godwin Obaseki – currently in President Muhammadu Buhari’s entourage to Egypt – said: “I had to write as the chief security officer of the state to let him know the situation in Edo State and to also inform him in line with the party’s constitution, the governor is the leader of the party.

“And if the governor that is the leader of the party and the party that he leads wants to do a rally in his own state and he has not authorized it and he is not aware, such rally cannot take.

“Also to inform him that that national chairman suspended from the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, does not have the locus to preside even an issue that concerns APC as we speak.

“So, the man that must give voice to whatever in APC in terms of governance enshrined in the Constitution is the leader of the party in the state, that is the governor.

“So I have the letter, the IG has responded to me that based on security situation that I have highlighted, that he has directed the commissioner of police to put all security in place to suspend that planned rally by these people.”

Naija News gathered that top members of the APC from Abuja are set to attend a mega rally to receive former governorship candidate Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and hundreds of his supporters, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).