Edo APC governorship candidate’s convoy involved in fatal accident, claims five lives

In a devastating incident ahead of the 2024 Edo State governorship election, the convoy of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Monday Okpebholo was involved in a tragic accident that claimed the lives of five people on Warrake Road near the Uzebba area in Owan West Local Government Area.

The victims, identified as Emmanuel Edionwe and four of his friends, were returning from a burial ceremony when their vehicle was struck by Okpebholo’s convoy on Thursday.

The accident occurred as the victims’ silver Camry sedan was negotiating a sharp bend, with witnesses attributing the collision to reckless driving by the convoy.

The impact of the crash was so severe that four of the victims died at the scene, while the fifth succumbed to injuries at the Irrua Specialist Hospital after being transferred for emergency care.

The remaining survivor is in critical condition and receiving treatment at the hospital.

The bodies of the four deceased victims were taken to the mortuary at Edo State University, Uzaurie, in Etsako West Local Government Area. Emmanuel Edionwe, one of the deceased, was remembered by a grieving relative as a “good, easy-going boy who should not be dead today.”

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The relative, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, expressed deep sorrow and disbelief over the tragic loss.

In the aftermath of the accident, it was reported that Okpebholo discreetly visited the victims at the hospital in Auchi.

However, the APC campaign council has faced criticism for its silence on the incident, with affected families and community members expressing disappointment over the lack of acknowledgement or condolences from the party.

“We feel really bad that the APC has not said anything about the accident. It is insensitive. No one who suffers such a loss should be left without closure,” lamented a relative of one of the victims, speaking through tears.

The accident has cast a shadow over the ongoing election campaign, with the tragic loss of five young lives leaving a community in mourning. As the families of the deceased struggle to cope with their grief, they are also calling for accountability and recognition of their loss from the political figures involved.