The Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, has directed the suspension of All Progressives Congress (APC) rally scheduled for Benin on Friday to welcome former gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who is planning to defect with his followers to the APC.
The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, told reporters at a press conference in Abuja that the IGP had communicated the order to him in a letter, saying the police chief was told that the security of attendees coming for the rally could not be guaranteed.
According to the Deputy Governor, who said the rally was a mere disguise to disrupt public peace, he received the letter suspending the rally at about 5 pm at the Police Headquarters in Abuja.
He expressed regret that the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, was leading the campaign to great division within the party.
He said Oshiomhole, who has been suspended from the party in the state, has no say in decisions taken in the state, insisting Governor Godwin Obaseki, as state party leader, is the only one authorized to do so according to the party constitution.
The IGP had earlier granted permission to the Edo State APC to hold its mega rally to receive Ize-Iyamu and over 30,000 PDP members into the state.
Obaseki had said that he was not aware of any APC rally in the state, just as the purportedly suspended state chairman Anselm Ojezua said neither the state governor nor other leaders of the party were aware of the rally, urging members of the APC in the state not to have anything to do with the event.
Ahead of the rally, 15 people were reportedly injured during a clash between supporters of National Party Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and those of the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki.
