The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State has strongly denied reports that the convoy of its governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, was involved in a fatal accident that claimed four lives.
In a statement by the Director of Media, Edo State APC Governorship Campaign Council, Prince Kassim Afegbua, the party described the story as “deceitful, misrepresentative, wrong-headed, spitefully contrived and utterly untrue and a crippling travesty of what occurred.”
According to Afegbua, the narrative was politically motivated and crafted by the Edo State government to undermine the APC’s campaign. He clarified that the accident was caused by a reckless driver who crashed into one of the vehicles in their convoy.
“First, the APC convoy did not crush five to death… A reckless and seemingly drunken driver rammed into one of the vehicles in our convoy, shortly after overtaking another vehicle,” Afegbua explained.
He noted that the driver, who appeared intoxicated, lost control of his car, which resulted in the fatal collision.
“At the scene of the incident, officers of the Road Safety Corps confirmed to us that the driver of that car was reckless. They reported that they had tried unsuccessfully to slow down the vehicle as it was over-speeding before it crashed,” he added.
The investigation revealed that the passengers in the car may have been under the influence of alcohol, as “bottles of alcoholic drinks were seen inside the vehicle.”
Afegbua further stated that despite the victims being responsible for the crash, Senator Okpebholo insisted on taking them to the hospital. “Even though the victims were the cause of the accident, our candidate insisted that we took them to the hospital in the company of the Road Safety Officers,” he said.
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However, the APC campaign condemned the politicization of the incident by the opposition. “In trying to play politics with the lives of accident victims, the Edo State government concocted a self-serving story and sent it to many media houses,” Afegbua claimed, accusing them of spreading misinformation.
He emphasized that “accidents are so-called because of their very nature—unfortunate, unpremeditated, unexpected. It could have been anybody.”
The APC strongly condemned the false reports, describing them as an attempt to mislead the public for selfish political gains.
Afegbua demanded an apology and criticized PDP candidate Dr. Asue Ighodalo for visiting the victims’ families to “score cheap political points.”
He accused Ighodalo of “desperation”, mocking him for allegedly rushing to sympathize with families. “While some other politicians like Asue Ighodalo may in desperation, find it profitable now, to even visit the toilet, to sympathize with someone trying to defecate, that is not our style,” Afegbua remarked.
He concluded by offering condolences to the bereaved families, affirming that “the good people of Edo can rely on the APC to deliver on our campaign promises.”
The Accident – Edo APC Campaign Convoy Crushes Five to Death
The tragic accident took place on Thursday along the Warrake road in Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State.
According to eyewitnesses who narrated the incident to NaijaTimesUSA, one of the vehicles in Senator Okpebholo’s convoy collided head-on with a Toyota Camry carrying five passengers.
He described the convoy vehicle as being on high speed when it suddenly swerved and hit the Camry head-on, leading to the immediate death of some of occupants and heavy injuries to the other two.
According to reports, the victims were returning home after attending a burial ceremony when the fatal accident took place.
Three of the passengers, died at the scene, while the driver of the Camry, Emmanuel Edionwe, along with one other passenger was rushed to the Irrua Specialist Hospital in critical condition. However Emmanuel later gave up the ghost
The bodies of the deceased victims were taken to the Edo State University, Uzairue Mortuary.
Following the incident, PDP candidate Dr. Asue Ighodalo paid a condolence visit to the family of Emmanuel Edionwe. “I pray that God comforts the families of the deceased and grants them the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” Ighodalo said during the emotional visit.
The accident has since become a contentious political issue, with both parties accusing each other of using the tragedy for political gain.
