Tony Osauzo, Benin

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Some youths of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo Central Senatorial District on the platform of Esan Youth Movement, yesterday attacked the convoy of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

They pelted the convoy with sachet water because of the governor’s alleged insistence that he was in the area to meet with party leaders and not the youths.
Obaseki reportedly visited Irrua, headquarters of Esan Central, to meet with Edo Central party leaders as part of his consultations ahead of the party primaries.
Party sources, however, alleged that the governor is rooting for consensus candidates to emerge while others are insisting on direct primaries.
The youths were said to be chanting songs of abandonment, marginalisation and no, to imposition of candidate before the attack on the convoy.
Another source said trouble started when the youths met with the governor and pleaded to have audience with him but the governor declined, saying his plans was to meet the leaders.
It was gathered that the Edo Central APC leaders were against alleged plot to impose the current Commissioner for Finance in the state, John Inegbedion, as the senatorial candidate of the party in the area.
They condemned the plot and insisted that nobody would impose candidates on them.
One of the leaders and former commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ken Ihensekhen, said they were surprised that the governor abandoned those who made him governor.
“Tell me what you will say you have done in Esan land that we will use to campaign?” he queried.
Another leader from the area, Francis Inegbeneki, who denied he imported the youths to boo the governor, said
the issue was the alleged endorsement of Inegbedion as senatorial candidate by the governor.
“Those that were shouting outside the meeting wore T-shirts with Esan Youth Movement inscribed on them. They were not brought by me even though I am a former national president of the movement.
“They were saying no to imposition. They said they don’t want any candidate imposed on them.
“Before we came out, we heard some people booing him. The meeting ended successfully.
We got information that the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, invited the five council chairmen, where he charged them to deliver Inegbedion as the senatorial candidate.
“But the governor denied the allegation.
He assured us that Esan people will decide who will represent them.
We are happy with the good intention of Obaseki,” Inegbeneki said.
However, official reaction to the attack was not forthcoming from the Edo State Government House as at press time yesterday.
A source, who didn’t want to be quoted denied knowledge of the incident, saying: “Honestly, I was not aware of the attack and I don’t want to comment.”