The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has called on the police and the State Security Services to arrest the acting state chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Jarrett Tenebe, over a call for the stoning of Governor Godwin Obaseki.  

The state PDP chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, stated this in a statement on June 10, 2024, the state chairman of the stated that his call for Mr Tenebe’s arrest was a threat.

Mr Tenebe was heard in a viral video interview saying, “Let me send a clear warning to him. He (Obaseki) cannot rig this election because we’re ready for him. He can start saying all of these things because he’s planning to do certain things that are not decent but we’re equal to the task.

He said, “I’m the chairman of the party now and I’m ready for him. He should be careful with the way he talks, so that we will not tell people to stone him because it will get to that soon. If he starts opening his mouth to say rubbish, I will tell people to stone him. I’m sure when they start stoning him, that’s when he will know that he does not have that support he’s talking about.’’

Expressing disgust over the opposition party chairman’s comment, Mr Aziegbemi, said that the PDP viewed the APC chairman’s threat as “a direct call for anarchy and a treasonable offence.”

He stated that the “video which was well circulated on social media has caused anxiety and apprehension in the state,” adding that a situation whereby anyone would threaten to call on hoodlums to stone an incumbent governor in the glare of security agencies was unacceptable.

The PDP chairman therefore called on the “Commissioner of Police and the State Director of the Department of State Security to immediately arrest Jarrett Tenebe and investigate thoroughly his outrageous statement,” warning that, “failure to act is a potential call for anarchy in the state.”

He called on supporters and party faithful to maintain peace in the state and not allow agents of disunity plunge the state into anarchy.