BY Ozioruva Aliu 

BENIN CITY – THE Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the forceful takeover of its Secretariat along Airport Road on Thursday as “criminal trespass, breaking, stealing and malicious damage”.

Addressing a press conference on Friday, the Chairman Caretaker Committee of the party, Dr. Tony Azeigbemi said the secretariat remained the official office of the PDP and challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to show evidence that they have paid for seven years as being claimed.

Azeigbemi also lamented the slow pace of response of security agencies as he claimed that it took them about one after he raised an alarm of invasion for them to reach the office which he said should not have taken more than 15 minutes.

He said th entire operation was “violent and brutal as has never been heard of or seen before and sadly it lasted for more than an hour. 

“The secretariat was vandalized, and there was wreckage and destruction everywhere. Banners and other materials were taken off and destroyed. Lives were put in danger, including mine as the Chairman of the PDP in Edo State. I was forcefully bundled out of my office with the help of Mr Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Blessing Agbebaku. amidst brutal assault and violence against my person.

“No doubt, this is arguably the worst attack on democracy in any part of Nigeria since the nation’s return to democracy in 1999. Even military regimes before 1999 were not as violent or brutal against dissenting voices as the Okpebholo-led government since they took over office on November 12, 2024.”