Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North Senatorial District, has insisted that the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, must inform Governor Monday Okpebholo before embarking on any visit to Edo State.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Friday, Oshiomhole described such a courtesy as a matter of “decency and self-respect,” especially when a visit involves public institutions maintained by the state government.
His remarks come in the wake of controversy sparked by Governor Okpebholo’s recent statement cautioning Obi against entering the state without prior security clearance.
The governor linked a previous visit by Obi to an alleged security breach which reportedly resulted in the deaths of three individuals.
The comments have drawn widespread condemnation, with critics accusing the governor of attempting to intimidate political opponents.
Addressing the issue, Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), argued that it is standard practice to notify sitting governors when intending to access state-owned facilities, regardless of political affiliation.
“Let’s face it: the property of the Edo State Government is entrusted in the hands of the Edo State governor,” Oshiomhole stated.
“If anyone, including myself, were to visit Enugu or Anambra when Obi was governor, and I intended to visit a government-owned facility such as a nursing institution, it would be a matter of decency and self-respect to inform the authorities.”
He stressed that Obi’s planned visit involves a public institution funded and managed by the Edo State Government, reinforcing the need for formal communication with the state’s leadership.
Although Oshiomhole acknowledged that he had a cordial relationship with Peter Obi during their time as governors, he clarified that they now hold differing political views.
“Peter Obi was my colleague, and we knew each other very well. I liked him then, and I still do, but politically, we don’t agree. I do not subscribe to his views on certain matters,” he added.
The controversy surrounding Obi’s visit continues to generate public discourse, especially in the context of rising political tensions ahead of the 2024 Edo governorship election.
Despite the governor’s security concerns, many Nigerians, including civil society groups, have called for an end to what they describe as the politicisation of routine visits and acts of philanthropy.
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