Questions are swirling over a secretive meeting between Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede, in Abuja, just hours before EFCC operatives conducted a controversial raid on a Benin hotel. The hotel, reportedly housing witnesses for PDP governorship candidate Asue Ighodalo, was stormed less than 24 hours before the commencement of the Election Petition Tribunal proceedings.
The meeting, whose details remain undisclosed, has fueled speculation about its timing, especially as it coincided with a successful motion by Governor Okpebholo’s legal team to postpone the tribunal’s start date from January 13 to January 15. Critics have described the raid and the meeting as an apparent attempt to intimidate witnesses and undermine the legal process.
Eyewitness accounts from the raid suggest plainclothes EFCC operatives stormed the hotel, allegedly attempting to apprehend one of the witnesses. However, the situation quickly escalated when the targeted individual raised an alarm, drawing the attention of other hotel guests. Tensions rose as the operatives reportedly refused to identify themselves, creating a scene of chaos.
Intervention by PDP candidate Asue Ighodalo and his lead counsel, Barrister Ken Mozia SAN, eventually de-escalated the situation. Viral videos of the incident show Ighodalo urging calm while senior EFCC officers, identifiable in their signature red vests, later arrived and abruptly withdrew, claiming the raid was an “unfortunate coincidence” and denying any intention of harassment.
However, the timing of the EFCC’s actions has drawn widespread criticism. Observers have linked the raid to threats made by the Edo State APC Chairman, who had earlier warned that anyone testifying for the PDP candidate would face arrest and be framed for the murder of a police officer. The EFCC’s unexplained presence at the hotel has amplified concerns about political interference and the weaponization of law enforcement against opposition figures.
“This raid is a blatant attempt to intimidate witnesses and derail the tribunal process,” said a PDP spokesperson. “It’s part of a disturbing pattern of using state institutions to suppress justice.”
The incident has further heightened tensions in Edo State, where allegations of intimidation and interference have cast a shadow over the ongoing governorship election tribunal. Critics are calling for transparency, demanding answers about the meeting between Senator Okpebholo and the EFCC Chairman and questioning the agency’s motives for targeting PDP witnesses at such a critical time.
