The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, yesterday condemned what it described as the wanton, unwholesome and sacrilegious demolition of the properties belonging to citizens of Edo State by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in the state.
Governor Godwin Obaseki’s bulldozers had demolished a property belonging to the immediate past deputy governor of Edo State, Dr
Pius Odubu. Odubu’s property was occupied by his younger brother and his family at the time it was demolished.
The APC in a statement by the party’s state publicity secretary, Chris Azebamwan said the governor’s action is aimed at intimidating, and silencing perceived enemies.
The party stated: “We recall that Governor Obaseki about this same time last year demolished the private property of another APC chieftain, Mr Tony Kabaka Adun. Unchallenged he has taken a step further, all in a bid to intimidate, suppress, hound, crush and silence his perceived enemies.
“No doubt, it is part of the governor’s ‘Make Edo State Great Again’ agenda to regularly and willfully demolish properties belonging to perceived opponents, and dissenting or critical voices in the state, in the bid to foist a siege mentality on the citizenry.”
“It is on record that Governor Obaseki had earlier this year revoked the Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) of the various properties, but the demolition carried out while the case is in court, is unacceptable because it amounts to a subversion of the rule of law.”
The party said the proper thing is for the state government to wait for the outcome of the court process but apparently because it knew that it was pursuing an illegal agenda, it demolished the properties.
It urged Governor Obaseki to perish the idea of trying to use false claims and propaganda to justify this act, as such cannot hoodwink Edo people from the truth, adding that the it also rejects this constant invasion of citizen’s privacy and demolition of their properties, as it is not only wicked, but cowardly.
“It is a direct recipe for crisis in our state. We caution against future action in this guise, because it is borne out of hatred and political intolerance in furtherance of the larger plot by the PDP and its administration to destroy the fabric that binds Edo people, and eventually overheat the polity,” the party added.
