By Gabriel Enogholase

BENIN—The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State, has alleged that one of its members and leader of Ward 8, Otuo, in Owan East Local Government Area of the state, was murdered by suspected members of the rival All Progressives Congress, APC, while campaigning for a candidate of the PDP in the area.

State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Chris Nehikhare, in a statement in Benin, called on the state Police command, the Department of State Security, DSS and other law enforcement agencies to do all within their powers to bring the perpetrators of the alleged murder to book.

He said: “As a political party, we share in the grief that the family of late Mr. Lucky Ojo and our loyal and faithful members in Otuo Ward 8 are going through at this time. In the meantime, we are constrained to enjoin members of our great party and our numerous supporters to exercise restraint in the face of the blatant provocation while we await police action on the incident.

“But let us be clear that Edo PDP will do everything to ensure that the late Ojo’s family gets justice in the proper measure and that our numerous party members are protected against future re- occurrence.”

However, reacting to the allegation, APC state Publicity Secretary, Mr Godwin Erhahon, while sympathising with the family of the late Lucky Ojo, said: “Ojo did not clash with anybody; he was said to have collapsed. Those who rushed to assist him found that he was wearing an amulet.

“We call on the Police to do a proper investigation and as a civilized political party, we do not support violence. If he was found to have died from natural causes, nobody should be dragged into it.”