PDP, ACN Supporters Clash In Benin

Supporters of the People’s Democratic Party and Action Congress of Nigeria on Tuesday clashed at the Kings Square in Benin City.

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole

The clash followed a protest by the PDP youths against the swearing-in of the 14 local government chairmen by Governor Adams Oshiomhole despite the rejection of the polls by the PDP.
It was learnt that the PDP youths took over the Kings Square, insisting that the elections should be cancelled on the grounds that elections did not hold across the state.
The protesters vowed that Wednesday’s election in Esan West and Esan North East LG would not hold unless the previous elections were cancelled.
The youths’ protest was, however, cut short by a group of youths, suspected to be ACN supporters, who chased the protesters out of the Square and took over the premises.
Some soldiers however arrived at the scene after the face-off and dispersed the youths, some of who were armed with cutlasses and woods.
Meanwhile, Edo State Deputy Governor Pius Odubu has denied reports linking his convoy to the distribution of electoral materials during last Saturday’s local government poll in the state.
The deputy governor, in a statement by his Press Secretary, Kelly Odaro, on Tuesday, described the reports as “erroneous”.
The statement read, “The deputy governor merely mentioned in the course of an interview, that the bus assigned to escort the vehicle conveying electoral materials to Urhonigbe North, in Orhionwon Local Government Area, to avert diversion, was attacked and vandalised by miscreants whose intent was to cart away the materials for rigging purpose.”