Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
Pandemonium erupted Thursday at Upper Sokponba area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, when youths on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) attacked their All Progressives Congress (APC) counterparts during a rally.
The incident occurred when a former council chairman, Mrs Itohan Ogbeide, a former chieftain of APC defected to the opposition PDP.
Trouble began when Itohan, who served for two terms as a council chairman was received into the PDP at a rally held at the party’s local government secretariat and began to reel out her achievements.
At that point, the rally was disrupted by some youths believed to be APC members who stormed the venue and demanded payment of alleged debt owed them by the defecting council boss.
Musical instruments were scattered. Even as some policemen shot into the air, the youths were shouting and ringing bells, forcing their way to the podium before they were prevented by the rival youths from the PDP.
They were saying: “Itohan, you are a liar. Pay us our election money and the money we used to work for you.”
To prevent further disruption of the rally, the PDP youths attacked the protesting youths saying they were agents of the APC.
As the protesting youths ran away, one of them was caught and was beaten up after which he was handed over to the police.
Responding to the protest, Itohan said: “I know what I am doing. They are disturbed that I am defecting. The are being threatened. You are all witnesses to what I have done.”
Earlier, the Edo State PDP Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, said no amount of harassment would stop the PDP from winning next year’s election.
Orbih told the defectors to join the PDP in the campaign to demand that people should get their permanent voter cards (PVCs).
Orbih, who accused the APC of engaging in dirty politics by harassing perceived political opponents, alleged that the River State government stopped attempts by some Edo APC leaders to take over Edo Line property.
He said: “The wind of change is blowing across the country. We are going to vote APC out of power.
“No amount of intimidation, harassment or attack will delay the inevitable change of government in Nigeria.”
However, a chieftain of APC, who pleaded anonymity, said the defection of Itohan would not affect the fortunes of the APC in Ikpoba-Okha.
The chieftain explained that the youths stopped Itohan from attending the political rally because of the money she was owing them.
