By Abiola Olawale
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, has told Mr Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, advising him against visiting Edo state without prior notification and approval.
The governor said this during a political rally in Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.
The governor’s remarks came in the wake of Obi’s July 7, 2025, visit to Benin City, where he donated ₦15 million to St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing Sciences for the project completion in Edo State. The presence of Obi had caused excitement among many residents, especially the youths in the State.
Okpebholo, speaking at a defection rally welcoming former PDP lawmaker Marcus Onobun to the All Progressives Congress (APC), expressed concerns over the timing of Obi’s visit, which he claimed coincided with unrest in the state that led to the deaths of three individuals.
He said: “The man wey say he no get shishi, I’m sending a direct message to him: there is a new sheriff in town. He cannot come to Edo without telling me because his security will never be guaranteed. Whatever happens to him in Edo State, he will take it. I am serious about it.
“He came the other day and donated N15 million. Somebody wey say he no get shishi — where did he get N15 million to donate? After he left, there was a crisis. Three people died in Benin. So tell Obi he should not come to Edo without telling me.”
