Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Former Publicity Secretary of the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chris Nehikhare has accused the state governor, Monday Okpebholo of scapegoating instead of tackling the root cause of the protest embarked upon by the students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.
Truth Live News Media reports that the students of the institution embarked upon a mass protest at the Edo Central Senatorial district to express their displeasure over the rising and unprecedented level of insecurity within the academic community and over 52 of them were arrested, arraigned and detained.
The arrest and subsequent detention were greeted with a lot of criticisms.
Looking for a soft landing, the state governor, Monday Okpebholo has since blamed the protest on sponsors from the diaspora.
Reacting to that, Nehikhare, in a statement titled “Critique:One Event, Their Confusion: Ekpoma Protesters and the Crisis of Governance in Edo”, said the state cannot move forward in that manner rather, the governor should look for how to address what led to the protest.
According to him ‘You cannot criminalise discontent today and seek public trust tomorrow.
“A state cannot move forward when its leaders are busy arguing over who to blame instead of what to fix.
“First, it was Students. Then it became AAU comrades. Suddenly, it was the same people who killed the police officer at the airport.
Moments later, we were told it was sponsored by the diaspora residents.
“One government. One protest. Four different suspects.
“This is not intelligence gathering; it is confusion masquerading as authority.
“The Ekpoma protest did not expose the protesters—it exposed a government unsure of its facts, unsure of its message, and alarmingly unsure of itself.
“When a government cannot clearly identify who protested, why they protested, or what their grievances are, it reveals a deeper failure: a widening disconnect between those who govern and the people they govern.
“Protests do not happen in a vacuum. They are usually the loud expression of long-ignored whispers—about insecurity, economic hardship, neglect, and frustration. But instead of listening, Edo State chose scapegoats. Instead of engagement, it offered conspiracy theories. Instead of leadership, it offered blame”.
Mr. Nehikhare said worse still, the so-called anti-protest rally staged on January 13th, 2026 evokes an uncomfortable memory. It calls to mind the dark days of the General Abacha era and the infamous “One Million Man March” organised to manufacture public support for a failing regime.
He said we all remember how that ended—not with legitimacy, not with redemption, but with collapse and national relief.
The former Publicity Secretary of the party added that history teaches us that rented crowds do not replace genuine consent, forced applause does not silence real pain and propaganda rallies cannot mask the consequences of poor governance.
According to him, every false label cheapens the truth. Every shifting narrative insults the intelligence of the people. You cannot criminalise discontent today and seek public trust tomorrow.
“The real issue is not whether the protesters were students, activists, or citizens at home and abroad. The real issue is why Edo people feel compelled to protest at all. Governance is not about hunting suspects after the fact; it is about preventing despair before it spills into the streets.
“Edo is not suffering from too many protests. Edo is suffering from too much denial. Government must learn to confront reality with honesty, consistency, and empathy, to prevent events like Ekpoma repeating themselves.
“A state cannot move forward when its leaders are busy arguing over who to blame instead of what to fix”.
