The Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, has directed the suspension of the rally of the All Progressives Congress scheduled for Benin, Edo State on Friday.
The rally was put together to welcome former gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who is planning to defect with his followers to the APC.
The development was revealed to newsmen by the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, on Thursday.
Shaibu said at a press conference in Abuja that Adamu communicated the order to him via a letter.
He said the IGP was told that the security of attendees coming for the rally could not be guaranteed.
The Deputy Governor said the rally was a mere disguise to disrupt public peace.
He said he received the letter suspending the rally at about 5pm at the Police Headquarters in Abuja.
He expressed regret that the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, was leading the campaign to create division within the party.
He said Oshiomhole, who has been suspended from the party in the state, has no say in decisions taken in the state, insisting Governor Godwin Obaseki, as the leader of the party, is the only one authorised to do so according to the constitution of the APC.
The IGP had earlier granted permission to the Edo State APC to hold its mega rally to receive Ize-Iyamu and over 30,000 PDP members into the state.
Obaseki had said that he was not aware of any APC rally in the state.
So also did the purportedly suspended State Chairman, Anselm Ojezua, said neither the state governor nor other leaders of the party were aware of the rally, urging members of the APC in the state not to have anything to do with the event.
