The governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, has come under fire from former Senate President Adolphus Wabara for having warned Peter Obi not to enter the state without a security clearance.
In addition to being unconstitutional, Wabara warned that the governor’s actions were “executive rascality taken too far” and that they could inflame ethnic tensions and jeopardize national unity.
“Peter Obi should seek proper security clearance if he wants to come here,” Governor Okpebholo declared in a recent rant. Otherwise, we can’t guarantee his safety. He will hold himself accountable if something were to happen to him here. I am not kidding.
Senator Wabara responded to the threat in a statement on Wednesday, saying that no state governor has the constitutional right to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement of any Nigerian citizen.
“If the Governor has forgotten, I would like to remind him that Section 41 (1) of the 1999 Constitution states that: ‘Every Nigerian citizen is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof, and no Nigerian citizen shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereby or exit therefrom.’”
For an elected governor to display such blatant, intolerable dictatorial tendencies thus smacks of executive impunity, power intoxication, political insanity, and egregious abuse of office.
The threat made by Okpebholo is a disgraceful demonstration of his lack of awareness of the boundaries of his authority as governor. Alternatively, might it be a promotion of his scant understanding of the constitution’s provisions, which is presumably due to his obvious academic incompetence and hollowness?
Additionally, the elder statesman questioned if the governor’s actions were the result of intentional abuse of power or “academic hollowness and ineptitude.”
Wabara didn’t end with censure. He called on Governor Okpebholo to formally guarantee Peter Obi’s safety in Edo State and to issue an urgent and unconditional public apologies.
He went on to say, “It is unfortunate that Governor Okpebholo, who ought to know better, violated the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s constitution so flagrantly after serving in the Senate. He ought to immediately issue a public apology to Obi for threatening to kill him.
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Those in public service should be polite, courteous, and avoid reckless vituperations that could burn down Nigeria. They ought to be agents of national unity and cohesiveness rather than advocates of policies that exacerbate our divisions.
The former president of the Senate also attacked the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying it was stifling opposition views more and more and causing Nigeria to become a one-party state.
He brought up a similar instance where President Bola Tinubu was urged to “call his governors to order” by Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, who had warned Obi.
He stated, “Those holding public office should be polite, respectful, and abstain from reckless vituperations that could burn Nigeria down.”
Wabara also cautioned against the ethnic profiling of Nigerians, stating that it seriously jeopardizes stability and peace.
He issued a warning, saying that political fervor should not be used to drive our nation to its limits. Overriding political objectives should be the nation’s peace and stability.
