By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

There was mild drama on Thursday on Airport Road, Benin City, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) took over the state secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), located on Airport Road.

The building, used by the PDP as a state secretariat before now, according to Investigation, belongs to the APC.

Speaking shortly the takeover, state chairman of the APC, Jarrett Tenebe, said the property rightfully belonged to the APC.

According to Tenebe, the APC had renewed the rent for a period of 7 years before the PDP, with the help of Governor Godwin Obaseki, forcefully took it from them.

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Narrating how it all happened, Tenebe noted: “About 4 years ago, APC made a frantic effort to extend the rent of this particular building which has always been the office of the APC. If you search on google, you will discover that this secretariat still reads ‘APC’s office.’

“The party in the state approached the national office to arrange so that we will be able to pay for more years for the rent off this facility. The national obliged us and sent us money to renew it for 7 years.

“The Governor then, Mr Godwin Obaseki decamped to PDP and in a military way, they took us out of this secretariat. Destroyed all our properties, took our vehicles and drove us out of this place.

“At that time, we complained to the Inspector General of Police and he, in his wisdom agreed that we should take over the secretariat. But because the Commissioner of Police in the state was working hand in hand with the then Governor, they refused to allow us access. Then, I was the deputy chairman of APC.”

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Tenebe who said the APC would remodel the building into its official pattern, promised to resist any attempt by any group, or vested interest to displace them from the property, or any of their other properties.

He said, “Today, we have taken over this secretariat. It belongs to us now, we are going to allocate offices today. We have also called the painters to repaint this place to APC color today, because this place rightfully belongs to us.

“We are ready to resist anybody that will try to make any noise or try to do anything with everything that we have”, the party chairman concluded.

Meanwhile, the state PDP chairman, Dr Tony Aziegbemi who was in the premises as at the time of the building takeover was later escorted out of the building by the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Blessing Agbebaku