The ward campaign of the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oredo Local Government Area of the state was brought to an abrupt end on Wednesday as aggrieved youth members of the party from the locality booed the party leaders.
Governor Monday Okpebholo, who led the APC leaders to the ward meeting held at Garrick Memorial College, Ekenwan Road, had his speech intermittently interrupted by the aggrieved youths, who kept chanting anti-party slogans.
Every attempt by Governor Okpebholo to douse the tension was met with more boos of ‘oppression, oppression’ and ‘no more neglect, no more use and dump’.
The youths also accused the administration of neglecting them after they allegedly worked for the governor’s election in 2024.
An attendee, who simply identified herself as Madam Esohe, said, ‘The area was tense. The youths defied all entreaties by party leaders and continued to chant that they had been dumped and neglected after supporting the governor’s emergence during the election.’
The development, according to her, created confusion at the meeting as attempts to continue the engagement were frustrated by the youths’ repeated interruptions.
The meeting, which was part of the governor’s ongoing engagements with APC members across wards in the state, consequently ended abruptly.
Governor Okpebholo had earlier in the day inaugurated the state campaign council, headed by Senator Matthew Uroghide, for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The governor has recently been holding consultations and meetings with party members at the ward level as part of efforts to strengthen the APC structure across the state.
The disruption at Ward 3 has introduced a fresh twist into the party’s grassroots engagement, with allegations and counter-allegations emerging over what transpired at the meeting.
A source within the government, who pleaded anonymity, claimed that a party leader, whose name was withheld, orchestrated the protest and booing of the governor.