The Edo State Government has reacted to public concerns over a recent comment by Governor Monday Okpebholo, which many interpreted as a threat to former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, Dockaysworld reports.
Speaking at a meeting in Uromi where he welcomed new members to the APC, Governor Okpebholo said Peter Obi should not visit Edo State without first getting his approval.
He said, “That man who says he has no ‘shishi’ (no money) came and dropped ₦15 million. After he left, three people were killed. Obi must not come to Edo without security clearance. If anything happens to him here, he will have himself to blame. I’m not joking.”
Following the statement, several Nigerians especially those from Obi’s political family, the OBIdient Movement and the Labour Party, reacted strongly to the governor’s statement.
For context, Peter Obi is popular in Edo State. In the 2023 presidential election, Obi won the state with 331,163 votes. He defeated APC’s Bola Tinubu, who got 144,471 votes, and PDP’s Atiku Abubakar, who scored 89,585 votes.
By contrast, Governor Okpebholo only narrowly won the 2024 governorship election. He received 291,667 votes, just ahead of PDP’s Asue Ighodalo, who got 247,274 votes.
Seeking to water down Okpebholo’s statement, the governor’s spokesperson, Fred Itua, on Sunday said the comment was misunderstood. He explained that Governor Okpebholo did not intend to threaten Peter Obi, but was simply stressing that important political visits should follow proper procedures, mainly for security reasons.
“Governor Okpebholo respects every political leader, including Peter Obi,” Itua said in the statement obtained by Dockaysworld. “Edo is open to all Nigerians. But for security reasons, visitors should inform the government, especially during sensitive times.”
“Where misunderstandings arise, it is the responsibility of leaders to clarify, not to condemn. And that is what this moment calls for: clarity. The governor’s comment was not an attack. It was a statement borne out of official protocol, not personal bias.”
This is not the first time Peter Obi faced restrictions. In April 2025, Obi had planned to visit Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps and a nursing school in Benue State as part of his humanitarian work.
However, ahead of his visit, the Benue State Government, led by Governor Hyacinth Alia, announced that public figures—including Peter Obi—were not permitted to enter the state without official clearance, citing security reasons.
