By Simeon OSAJIE
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration of orchestrating the violent disruption of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) exhibition in Benin, the state capital.
In a statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Dan Osa-Ogbegie Esq, and made available to The9JaTREND, the party condemned the incident as a national embarrassment that has now escalated into a full diplomatic incident.
According to the PDP, verified recordings obtained by UK-based investigative journalists show how armed hoodlums forcibly entered the MOWAA premises during a visit by foreign ambassadors and directors of major global museums.
Ogbegie said the footage, currently being compiled into an international dossier for broadcast by European media houses, includes material from reporters attached to the BBC and a German journalist producing a mini-documentary on the event.
He said, “This is no longer a local embarrassment. It is a full diplomatic incident.”
The party said the video evidence showed “with disturbing clarity” that elements of the Nigerian Police assisted the thugs in gaining access to the protected cultural facility.
The PDP questioned why police operatives allegedly stood down as the armed group, widely known as the governor’s lions and tigers, overran the venue despite the presence of high-profile international guests.
“The European Union has formally requested the Federal Government to investigate this act to the fullest extent, including identifying the political actors who enabled this descent into lawlessness,” the statement said.
According to the PDP, Edo State now faces accusations of tolerating or enabling what foreign observers have described as “acts bordering on terrorism.”
‘Bitterness Against Obaseki Is Driving Destruction’
The PDP said the attack was rooted in the ruling APC government’s alleged obsession with undermining anything associated with former Governor Godwin Obaseki.
“Their resentment stems simply from Obaseki’s perceived ‘parsimoniousness’, that he refused to open the public vaults for them,” Ogbegie said.
He added that, deprived of access to public funds during Obaseki’s tenure, the current APC leadership had turned its bitterness into a deliberate campaign of destruction.
The party likened the event to “the gravest cultural assault on Benin since 1897,” referencing a historic episode that led to the looting of Benin artefacts by British forces.
The PDP argued that Governor Okpebholo had repeatedly demonstrated poor judgment and intolerance, insisting that the deployment of armed thugs to disrupt a global cultural exhibition was a symptom of wider governance failure.
“For months, we have warned that Governor Okpebholo governs by impulse, not policy; by knee-jerk reactions, not reason; by narcissistic theatrics, not statesmanship,” the statement read.
The party said no responsible administration would disrupt an exhibition attended by global cultural custodians, museum directors and tourism investors.
The PDP also claimed that two Air Peace aircraft were deployed urgently to airlift frightened foreign visitors following the disturbance.
The Director of the British Museum, Mr. Nicholas Cullinan, holder of significant Benin artefacts, was among those reportedly harassed by a weapon-carrying attacker during his first visit to Nigeria.
“He has since granted interviews recounting this shocking experience. This is not merely a stain on MOWAA; it is a stain on Edo State and Nigeria’s global image,” Ogbegie said.
‘Bad Behaviour Has Consequences’ – PDP Warns APC Actors
The PDP warned that individuals whose faces had been identified in the videos, including some it described as “known APC chieftains and their lions and tigers,” would face diplomatic and legal consequences.
“The world has taken notice. Diplomatic missions have taken notice. International cultural institutions have taken notice,” the statement said.
The party criticised the Edo State Government for “behaving like a militia camp masquerading as an administration,” saying the state deserved better.
“Edo people deserve leadership that protects, not destroys; that unites, not divides,” Ogbegie said.
He concluded with a stark warning: “The world is watching. Edo cannot afford another 1897.”