The newly appointed police commissioner in Edo State has been shown the exit door after an alleged stealthy meeting with the powerful Igbinedion family affiliated with the opposition party - People's Democratic Party.
Governor Adams Oshiomhole
The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Finihan Adeoye, has been been relieved of his position under highly controversial circumstances of partisanship in the forthcoming Ego gubernatorial election.
Adeoye was sent packing after details emerged of a grand plan he hatched at Chief Gabriel Igbinedion's home, ahead of the September 28 governorship election in the State, a source on the ground in Edo has disclosed.
The Igbinedions are an influential family that has formed the foundation of the People's Democratic Party, PDP.
Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion was Governor of Edo State between 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007.
The Esama of the Benin Kingdom, Gabriel Igbinedion, still fancies playing the King-maker role in the South South State.
"Adeoye held this meeting in Igbinedion's home where the plan to rig the governorship election was exposed and reported to the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris", a source added.
"Also in attendance at the very secret meeting in Chief Igbinedion's house were four top INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) officials serving in Edo State".
A top official of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State who craved anonymity for this story, alleged that Adeoye had become too close to the Igbinedions.
"Mr. Adeoye was recently posted to Benin barely three weeks ago and has fallen prey to very corrupt influence of the Igbinedions and their protégé Pastor Ize-Iyamu who is confirmed to have bribed the former Edo Police Commissioner with huge sums of money in a desperate bid to rig the coming governorship election in Edo State", said the high ranking APC official.
Meanwhile, the PDP chapter in Edo has decried the sack of the commissioner which they attributed to a deliberate propaganda by Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State as a last-ditch effort to destablise the forthcoming electoral process in favour of his anointed man, Godwin Obaseki.