The governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, has strongly warned Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate in the general election of 2023, not to travel to the state without first obtaining his consent.
Speaking at a defection rally for Marcus Onobun, a current PDP lawmaker representing the Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and the former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Okpebholo issued the warning in Uromi.
On Friday, July 18, 2025, Marcus Onobun, the sole PDP member of the House of Representatives, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Nearly two weeks had passed since Obi’s visit to the state and N15 million donation to Benin’s St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing when the governor made his comments.
The governor stated in a 57-second video from the rally that if Obi disobeys the order, he will be held accountable for his actions in Edo State.
“The man wey say he no get shishi, I am 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 when he is in Edo State, he will take it. I am serious about it,
To the applauding audience, Okpebholo declared, “He came the other day and donated N15 million. Somebody wey say he no get shishi; where he get N15 million to donate to people? By the time he left, there was crisis. Three people died in Benin. So, for that reason, tell Obi he should not come to Edo without telling me,”
The governor went on to discuss Onobun’s defection, saying that the APC had solidified its hold on Edo State and would eliminate any remaining opposition by the general elections in 2027.
“We are not lobbying anyone to join APC; they are coming because they see the results of our governance,”He boasted, “In 2027, 2.5 million votes from Edo are guaranteed for President Bola Tinubu“
“Last week, we finally buried the PDP in Edo State. I saw someone crying at Ring Road, talking about having 65%. That is what we call social media winning. When I said I would become governor, I meant it. Today, we are turning Edo into a construction site, and they can see it.”
