Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Friday issued a stern warning to Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, declaring that the former Anambra State governor must not visit Edo without notifying him.

The governor made the statement in Benin City while receiving Hon. Marcus Onobun—the last opposition federal lawmaker in the state—into the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a fiery speech delivered before party supporters, Governor Okpebholo said, “The man wey say e no give shishi, I am sending a direct message to him: there’s a new sheriff in town. He cannot come to Edo State without telling me because his security will not be guaranteed.”

Referencing Obi’s recent visit to Benin on July 7, where he donated N15 million to St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing Sciences, Okpebholo questioned the former governor’s integrity.

“Somebody wey say e no get shishi, where him see 15 million to donate?” the governor asked rhetorically.

He also linked Obi’s July 7 visit to unrest in the state capital. “When he visited last time, three people died in Benin. So for that reason, tell Mr. Peter Obi he should not come to Edo without telling me.”

Obi had made the donation to support ongoing projects at the Catholic-run nursing school during a widely publicized visit that drew crowds of supporters and members of the Obidient movement.

Governor Okpebholo’s remarks have stirred sharp reactions across social media, with critics calling it an attempt to stifle opposition activity in the state.