APC demands Obaseki’s impeachment over viral video

The Edo State branch of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the state House of Assembly to initiate impeachment proceedings against Governor Godwin Obaseki.

This call comes after a video surfaced showing the governor making threatening remarks, warning that Nigeria would face severe consequences if actions like the attack on the convoy of Philip Shaibu and the party’s governorship candidate, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, were repeated. In the incident, a police orderly was fatally shot.

In the video, Obaseki was addressing a group of people believed to be party faithful and supporters about the incident and was alleging that members of his party were being targeted.

Obaseki said in the video that “We just kept quiet last Thursday, if they try what they tried last Thursday again, Nigeria will burn and I will lead it. You don’t behave like that, we have passed that stage. If you want to go to the court, you wait for the court. We are not animals, the last time we kept quiet, I told all of you, you are the one that have something to lose, does not mean that they should take us for granted. Those people who did it, you refuse to arrest them, rather they want to come and arrest our boys.”

In a statement released by its Acting State Chairman, Emperor Jarrett Tenebe, the APC condemned Governor Obaseki’s comments as potentially inflammatory.

Part of it reads “To say the least, Obaseki’s latest violent threat to Nigeria and Nigerians is a descent into madness that must quickly be tamed to avoid anarchy and breakdown of law and order in Edo State and Nigeria.

“The avoidable tragic incident of last Thursday July 18, 2024 is a vivid example of how far the state sponsored extrajudicial killings have been going on, but covered by the state government with deceptive reports of inter-cult fights in the state. It was time this madness stopped. It is time to stop Mr. Obaseki before he carries out his threat.

“We are therefore calling on the State House of Assembly to immediately condemn Obaseki’s reckless and dangerous threat to burn down Nigeria.

“Additionally, to forestall and end his unprecedented heinous plans, we are urging the speaker and members of Edo State House of Assembly to immediately start his impeachment process that has become overdue.”