Member representing Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Murphy Osaro Omoruyi, has issued a scathing response to comments credited to the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, regarding Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate and national leader of the Obidient Movement, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi.

In a widely circulated video, Governor Okpebholo was seen making disparaging remarks about Mr. Obi, including claims that he had described himself as a poor man and a veiled threat suggesting the former Anambra State Governor should not visit Edo without his permission.

Describing the statements as “regrettable and dangerous,” Hon. Omoruyi condemned the Governor’s remarks as “a reckless abuse of office and a fundamental violation of the rights of a respected Nigerian statesman.”

“Governor Okpebholo’s allegation that Mr. Obi claims to be a poor man is not only false but deliberately misleading. Mr. Obi has always been transparent about his business success — a prudent trader who rose to lead major institutions and companies. What he has consistently rejected is money politics and the use of public resources to buy political loyalty,” Omoruyi stated.

He further denounced the Governor’s comments suggesting that Mr. Obi needs his permission to enter Edo State, describing it as a flagrant overreach and unconstitutional.

“Peter Obi is a free citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He requires no permission from any governor to move around his country. To suggest otherwise is to undermine our democracy and insult the very principles of freedom and equality upon which our Constitution rests,” he said.

Omoruyi also drew attention to Mr. Obi’s philanthropic contributions to Edo State, including a ₦15 million donation to St. Philomena School of Nursing, describing him as “a man of compassion and commitment to national development.”

“It is ironic that while criminals, kidnappers, and cultists continue to terrorize citizens across the state, the Governor’s attention is focused on attacking a peaceful, generous, and law-abiding figure like Peter Obi,” he said.

He urged Governor Okpebholo to channel his energy into solving the myriad challenges facing Edo State, including insecurity, infrastructural decay, youth unemployment, cultism, flooding, drug abuse, and the rising burden of state debt.

“The election season is over. What our people need now is leadership, not theatrics. I call on the Governor to focus on the business of governance and desist from peddling political intimidation,” Omoruyi declared.

He concluded with a firm reminder that democracy thrives on tolerance, constructive engagement, and the freedom of every citizen — regardless of political affiliation — to participate in nation-building.