National chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has appealed to members of the party in Edo State to remain calm following the mayhem unleashed on the people of the state on Wednesday by armed thugs.

Oshiomhole made the appeal while addressing party members who escorted him to his house after he arrived in the state amid tight security.

The party chairman and other members of the NWC are in Benin to receive over 30,000 leaders of the PDP led by Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu into the APC.

Thugs, however, took over the Benin Airport shooting sporadically.

Burn-fires were seen at strategic places in Benin City, while roads leading to the residence of the party chairman were blocked by heavy-duty vehicles.

It took him and other members of the NWC over one hour to get to his residence after soldiers came to disperse the armed thugs.

Reacting to the scenario while addressing party supporters at his residence, Oshiomhole said: “I know you are hurt with what we are passing through here but I want to plead with you don’t be provoked. Any reasonable party leader will be happy to welcome people from another party into his party.

“Particularly when those coming were people who fought us in the last election. And when you look at the margin then it was like 50,000. So we are in Benin to welcome them but you can see how their thugs are unleashing mayhem on people.

“But I want to tell you, APC is our house and we will not destroy it neither are we going to allow anybody destroy it. We don’t want anyone to be killed so, please don’t fight back. Those who know me know that I am not a coward, I am not afraid of a fight. But I will not and I urge you to remain calm.

“We are getting conflicting report now, the IG ordered the Commissioner if Police to give us protection for our rally. But we are being told now that the same authority said it has been cancelled. But I am going to make calls and find out what the problem is, if the police is saying they cannot protect a political rally.

“I will find out and let you people know. But even if they said we cannot hold it, please don’t fight anybody. I will meet them and find out when it will hold. But the rally will still hold someday. We have the right of association. This is not the first time we are seeing situations like this, but I can assure you it will not last forever.

“No condition is permanent. We must do everything to keep APC in Edo State no matter what the devil thinks. APC Is our house so we must resist any temptation to fight back. We must remember that our President Muhammad Buhari is a peaceful man. We must remain peaceful and go home and tell everyone, we remain strong. Nobody can shake our spirit. We will receive our brothers into the party to fortify our party”. (ChannelsTV)

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