By Emeka Blast 
‘Obi Must Be Protected’ — LP Reps Urge Tinubu to Restrain Okpebholo Over ‘Inciting’ Remarks
The Labour Party (LP) Caucus in the House of Representatives has issued a stern rebuke of Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo for threatening the safety of Peter Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, urging President Bola Tinubu to caution the governor over his “inciting and unconstitutional” remarks. The condemnation follows Okpebholo’s statements at a defection rally in Uromi on Friday, July 18, where he warned Obi not to visit Edo without prior security clearance, alleging that Obi’s July 7 visit to Benin City, where he donated ₦15 million to St. Philomena Hospital, led to violence and three deaths.
“That man who says he has no ‘shishi’ dropped ₦15 million. Where did he get it? After he left, three people were killed. Obi must not come to Edo without clearance, or his security won’t be guaranteed,” Okpebholo declared, as captured in a viral 57-second video. The LP caucus, led by Hon. Afam Ogene, called the remarks “outrageous, uncivil, and unbecoming of a public official,” emphasizing Obi’s constitutional right to move freely across Nigeria without fear of intimidation or harm.
Ogene’s statement, issued in Awka, accused Okpebholo of promoting intolerance and questioned his conduct as a former senator and chief security officer of Edo State. The caucus also referenced Okpebholo’s earlier threat to demolish the home of Hon. Marcus Onobun, a former PDP lawmaker who defected to the APC at the same rally, asking whether the governor would retract that threat now that Onobun had joined his party. “If Okpebholo can make such inflammatory remarks publicly, what is said behind closed doors about opposition figures?” Ogene queried.
The LP lawmakers demanded that President Tinubu call Okpebholo to order, warning, “No harm must come to Peter Obi anywhere in Nigeria or beyond.” They cited similar remarks by Benue Governor Hyacinth Alia, suggesting a pattern of APC intimidation tactics to curb Obi’s growing popularity. The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth wing condemned the threat as an attack on the Igbo community, calling for a visa ban on Okpebholo by the US and UK.
Legal expert Prof. Chidi Odinkalu labeled the governor’s words “reckless and dangerous,” arguing they violate constitutional rights and risk inciting violence. X posts, including from @peter_ameh and @TheBeninBlogger, reflect public outrage, with some alleging Okpebholo’s remarks reveal APC’s fear of Obi’s influence ahead of 2027. The governor, however, boasted at the rally of securing 2.5 million Edo votes for Tinubu in 2027, claiming the APC had “buried” the PDP.
