The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State has condemned in the strongest possible terms Wednesday’s reported shooting incident within the venue of the Edo Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Benin City.
In a statement by Acting State Chairman of the APC, Emperor Jarret Tenebe, he described the incident reportedly involving members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as “a deeply disturbing and unacceptable act of violence.”
But, in a swift reaction, the PDP dissociated itself from the shooting incident, describing the “shameful incident” as “yet another in the series of clandestine efforts by the APC to frustrate the legal process and tarnish the image of our party.”
The PDP accused the ruling party of resorting to deploying thugs disguised in PDP-branded attire to disrupt the legal process, while pointing accusing fingers at the opposition party.
However, the APC insisted that: “The Tribunal is a sacred space where justice is meant to be administered impartially. Any act of violence within its walls undermines the very foundation of our legal system and threatens the safety of all involved.
“Regardless of political affiliation, resorting to violence to resolve disputes is never justifiable. We must all condemn such actions in the strongest possible terms.”
The APC noted that violence has no place in a civilized society, while calling for those responsible for the heinous to be brought to justice swiftly and without exception.
