The Unity Ambassadors Initiative has strongly condemned the brutal attack on the motorcade of Senator Monday Okpebholo, the APC governorship candidate in Edo State, by members of the Edo State Security Network and alleged government-sponsored thugs.
In a press release issued at the APC Secretariat on July 24, 2024, the group called on the Edo State Governor to immediately produce the perpetrators of the attack, which resulted in the death of Inspector Akur Onuh.
The group emphasized that elections should be a safe and free process, and that violence and intimidation have no place in a healthy democracy. They urged all actors to model restraint, civility, and respect for the democratic process, and encouraged political stakeholders to resolve conflicts through peaceful dialogue.
The Unity Ambassadors Initiative also called on law enforcement to swiftly investigate and prosecute those responsible for the attack, and implored citizens to participate peacefully and with civility in the upcoming election.
The group warned the opposition party that Edo State is not for sale, and that the life of their candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, must not be tampered with. They expressed their support for Okpebholo, calling him their “illustrious son” and “incoming Governor by God’s grace.”
The group’s Convener, Comrade Philip Martins Eghomare, concluded by encouraging citizens to exercise their civil right and vote for Senator Okpebholo on September 21st, quoting President Abraham Lincoln’s statement that “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.”