Benin, Edo, Nigeria – By Oladipo Airenakho.
Edo State branch of Nigeria’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned in its strongest term what it called the vicious attack, yesterday on Hon. Razaq Momoh, a member of the party’s caucus in the Edo State House of Assembly.
Hon Razak who recently decamped from the state ruling All Progressive Congress to the PDP fold was allegedly attacked yesterday at his State Legislative Quarters residence in Benin City by forces loyal to APC leadership in a circumstance still shrouded in obscurity.
In a press release issued today by the leadership of Edo State PDP and signed by its Chairman, Chief Dan Osi Orbih, the party condemned what it described as the “rising political intolerance by the Adams Oshiomhole administration”
“The Edo State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is gravely worried by the deteriorating security situation in the state occasioned by the heightening political intolerance by the Governor Adams Oshiomhole All Progressives Congress (APC) – led government to opposing political views.”
PDP, it said was alarmed by the “Tuesday night attack by loyalists of Governor Oshiomhole of an elected member of the state Assembly, Hon. Razaq Momoh. Apparently, Hon. Momoh’s sin is that he dumped Oshiomhole’s APC for the PDP,” adding that in a democracy, the right to freedom of association is sacred and must be respected by all.
The party called on the Inspector General of Police to bring to book all those involved in the dastardly act of the near-assassination of Hon. Razak Momoh.
“Edo PDP sympathizes with the Hon. Momoh and his family on the very unfortunate attack. We appeal to our members to remain calm and be law-abiding in the face of the unwarranted attacks by goons of the APC, while we await official police action on the matter,” the statement said.
The PDP leadership also called on Governor Adams Oshiomhole to rise above party lines and become governor of all. “We advise him to stop all manner of incivility and persecution of persons who do not subscribe to his political ideology and actions.”
“We recall how Governor Oshiomhole stoked the division in the state Assembly by relocating APC lawmakers to a section of his office in Government House, Benin.”
It noted with disappointment, “how Governor Oshiomhole recently presented his 2015 Appropriation Bill to APC lawmakers in a section of his office.”
The Party said it believed that Governor Oshiomhole’s acts of commission and omission was aiding and abetting members to subscribe to impunity.
As at press time Alltimepost.com was still conducting investigations into the incident and had not been able to get the side of the Governor and APC in Edo State.
