When an angry mob described as youths from the All Progressive Congress besieged the Benin Airport ahead of the touchdown of the Senator representing Edo South Senatorial district, Senator Mathew Urhoghide, security attempt to rescue the Senator failed and the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki had to be called upon to help salvage the situation. This attempt has however taken a different interpretation.
The planned attack on the Senator led to a fracas between supporters of the APC and those of the PDP at the Benin Airport, which left five persons injured, including the youth leader of the PDP, Thaddeus Irabor, who was later arrested by the Police and resulted in the unavoidable need of the intervention of the State Governor and flagbearer of the APC in Edo State.
Governor Obaseki, in a move that was unexpected and, on the face of it, highly patriotic, promptly arrived at the Airport to bail the Senator out from the fracas. In a video clip documenting the incidence which was published by Independent Television (ITV), the Governor was seen shaking hands with the Senator while saying “you want to impeach my President, abi” in an obvious attempt to make a joke from the whole issue. The Senator understood the joke and replied with “My Governor, my Governor” as both men hit palms in a friendly manner.
The Governor then led the Senator out of the VIP room, where he had sought refuge, into the open and while they approached the Governor’s convoy, the Governor made to greet some persons and the Senator, who was behind him, had his cap removed by unidentified individuals.
However, things have taken a different turn, following the report of the incidence released by the Senator which holds that the Governor brought him out of the airport for the youths to assault him. In the report, the Senator declared:
“We were walking side by side, talking when a boy hit my head and the governor walked away. Before I left Abuja, I knew what was happening and the person responsible for it. I called him to tell him that it was unnecessary but he didn’t pick his calls.
“It would be cowardice for me to abort the journey. I wanted to see what would happen and they displayed their thuggery. I am not cowed by it. I will represent my constituency and do whatever I want to do. Those who beat the PDP State Youth leader were not arrested but he was arrested.”
Contrary to the Senator’s claim, the Governor was a few steps ahead of him in the video and could not have seen when his cap was removed. But as soon as the Governor notice what had happened he yelled out “Are you mad? Who is he? Arrest him!”, referring to the person who removed the Senator’s cap.
Obaseki was, however, rushed into his convoy by his security detail when the crowd began to show signs of agitation.
Independent Television, owned by a PDP Chieftain in the state, however, narrated the story differently even when their own video showed this incident exactly in this manner.
Reports later confirmed that the police restrained the youths from harming the Senator and he was whisked off the premises of the airport within the next 10 minutes.
The PDP has also hinged on the fact that Obaseki hailed the APC supporters who were converged around the scene of the incidence to claim that the Governor endorsed their actions.
