Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The political temperature in Edo State has reached a boiling point after a viral video captured a well‑known government aide and praise singer openly vowing to hand over any member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) found in the state to the Commissioner of Police, while the top security officer watched and smiled. The video, which has triggered widespread condemnation and raised serious concerns about the abuse of state power, shows Egogo Emmanuel, a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Monday Okpebholo, hurling insults at political opponents, including calling former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi a “stupid man,” and declaring that any ADC member caught in Edo State would be turned over for “political prosecution and witch‑hunt.” The footage, now circulating across social media platforms, captures the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, standing by as the tirade unfolds, an act that civil society groups and opposition parties say violates the fundamental duty of law enforcement to remain neutral in political disputes.
“We are loyal to you sir. When we eventually catch any ADC people in this Edo State, we would hand them over to you,” Egogo declares in the video, addressing Governor Okpebholo directly. “People like Obi, that Obi idiot,” he added, repeating the slur. The unfolding controversy is not Egogo’s first foray into political extremes. In October 2025, he drew public outrage at an APC political rally in Ekiti State where he stood on stage as Okpebholo’s official hype‑man, shouting that the governor was the “best son of Jesus Christ” and a “trusted son of Bola Ahmed Tinubu”. In the viral video, Egogo’s entrance was greeted with chants and praise‑singing with the intensity of a stage performance, turning a political gathering into what many described as a “concert” of sycophancy.
The emergence of the new video, where a police commissioner appears to endorse such threats, has deepened the controversy. Critics are appalled that the state’s chief security officer would smile while a government official publicly promises to orchestrate what amounts to political persecution. The video has been widely condemned by opposition figures, civil society organisations and citizens who see it as a dangerous precedent where state security forces align themselves with ruling party enforcers. Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong described the scene as “a chilling glimpse into the normalisation of state‑backed thuggery,” warning that it signals the weaponisation of security agencies against political opponents.
The video comes just two months after a far more violent chapter in Edo State’s political history. On February 24, 2026, Peter Obi and several other ADC chieftains, including former APC National Chairman Chief John Odigie‑Oyegun, were attacked by armed thugs at the ADC state secretariat in Benin City. Gunmen shot at Obi’s convoy, shattering vehicles and leaving supporters fearing for their lives. The attack occurred during a visit to welcome former NBA President Olumide Akpata into the ADC. Obi, who later displayed bullet cartridges recovered from the scene, confirmed the incident and expressed “profound disappointment”.
Governor Okpebholo immediately denied any involvement, blaming the attack on an “internal crisis within the ADC that had been taken too far” and accusing unnamed individuals of importing thugs from outside Edo to disrupt the peace. The Edo State Government also rejected the allegations, calling them “false and malicious” in an official statement signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary. Okpebholo reiterated that his comments about Obi’s security were never a threat but a “genuine concern for public safety” and “security advisory.” He insisted that “politically exposed persons” must notify authorities ahead of sensitive activities“.
Yet, the new emergence of Egogo’s statements has re‑ignited suspicion. Opponents argue that the governor’s public disavowals of violence ring hollow when his own aide is caught on video making similar threats. The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, who was present during the February attack, issued a fresh warning that “any more attacks or threats against Peter Obi will no longer be treated with silence or without consequences”. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has already threatened to take the APC to the ECOWAS Court over what it describes as “political terror” in Edo State.
The United Coalition of Civil Society Organisations for Good Governance (UCCSOGG) swiftly condemned the arrest of ADC members in what it called a “politically motivated midnight raid staged to pacify the sitting governor and the ruling party.” The coalition urged the IGP to reassign the Edo State Commissioner of Police to a desk duty pending a thorough investigation into his conduct in the viral video. The National Coordinator of UCCSOGG, Obi Sunny, accused the commissioner of “celebrating with an unelected political pawn who has repeatedly threatened violence against Nigerians.”
The unfolding crisis poses a serious challenge to law enforcement. If the video evidence is confirmed, experts note that the Commissioner of Police might face sanction for professional misconduct, including dereliction of duty and partisanship. The Nigeria Police Force has not yet issued a formal response to the viral video. Calls to the Force Public Relations Officer were unanswered as of Thursday evening. Acting Inspector‑General of Police, Tunji Disu, only recently assumed office in February 2026. He has since faced pressure to reform the police force. However, state commissioners of police remain answerable to the IGP, whose office has so far been silent on the matter.
For the people of Edo State, the latest video is not merely about a governor’s aide or a smiling police chief but a test of whether law and democracy can survive the descent into strong‑arm tactics. The viral video has become a rallying point for pro‑democracy groups, with the hashtag #JusticeForADC trending across Nigeria. As the 2027 elections draw closer, political actors across the spectrum will be watching to see whether the viral video leads to real accountability or becomes yet another piece of footage that is condemned and then ignored.
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