Peter Obi Edo visit criticised by Edo State Commissioner, who says former presidential candidate should have notified government before arrival
Edo State Commissioner for Information, Kassim Afegbua, has criticised former presidential candidate Peter Obi for failing to inform the state government ahead of his visit.
Afegbua made the remarks during an interview on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television.
Also read: Peter Obi escapes assassination attempt in Edo during ADC event
The comments followed a gunmen attack on Obi and other prominent members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Edo State, an incident described by some as an assassination attempt.
Afegbua said that as a politically exposed person, Obi should have extended the courtesy of informing the state government prior to entering Edo.
He clarified that Governor Monday Okpebholo’s earlier statement, which some interpreted as requiring Obi to seek clearance before visits, had been misrepresented.
“People misinterpreted what Governor Okpebholo meant when he made the statement in July last year, to the extent that anytime Peter Obi wants to come to Edo, he should please inform the state government.
But because Obi is a politically exposed person, we would expect that he would extend the courtesy of informing the government of the day,” Afegbua said.
Also read: Gunmen kill Edo palace chief, abduct two daughters
He added that the recent incident should be understood within the context of internal ADC disputes rather than as a state security lapse, noting,
“What happened in Edo should be located within the ambit of the ADC, one factional group of the ADC versus another faction of the ADC.”
