‘It’s a matter of decency’ — Oshiomhole insists Obi should inform Okpebholo before visiting Edo

Adams Oshiomhole, the senator representing Edo north, says it is a matter of decency and self-respect for Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in 2023, to notify Monday Okpebholo, governor of the state, ahead of his visit.

Last week, Okpebholo warned Obi against visiting the state without prior security clearance, linking a recent trip by the former presidential candidate to a security breach that allegedly resulted in the deaths of three people.

But the governor’s remarks have attracted widespread criticism, with many accusing him of using intimidation tactics against political opponents.

Speaking on the matter on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme, on Friday, Oshiomhole said it is important to inform authorities when personalities like Obi plan to visit a state.

The former governor of Edo pointed out that the school in question, which Obi is expected to visit, is fully funded and maintained by the state government.

“Let’s face it; the property of the Edo state government is entrusted in the hands of the Edo state governor. If anyone, myself included, goes to Enugu or Anambra when Obi was governor and I want to visit a government-owned facility, like a nursing institution, it is a matter of decency and self-respect to inform the authorities,” Oshiomhole said.

“Peter Obi was my colleague, and we knew each other very well. I liked him then, and I still do, but politically, we don’t agree. I do not subscribe to his views on certain matters.”