"They Can Even Kidnap All of Us — There Is No Vacancy in Aso Rock." Edo Governor's Remark at APC Rally Draws Immediate National Reaction.

"They Can Even Kidnap All of Us — There Is No Vacancy in Aso Rock." Edo Governor's Remark at APC Rally Draws Immediate National Reaction.

On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo addressed supporters at the flag-off of the All Progressives Congress campaign for local government council elections in the Edo South Senatorial District, held at Urhokpota Hall in Benin City.

He used the occasion to accuse opposition figures of sponsoring the rising wave of kidnappings and insecurity across Nigeria as a strategy to undermine President Bola Tinubu's administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Then he made the statement that has since overtaken the rest of his speech online.

"There is no vacancy in Aso Rock. They can even kidnap all of us, yes, there is no vacancy in Aso Rock," he said, according to Punch Newspapers, Daily Trust, Channels Television, and PM News Nigeria, all of which confirmed the quote from the event.

That sentence, delivered at a political rally twenty-five days after armed men stormed three schools in Oyo State and abducted dozens of children and teachers, landed in a national conversation that was already raw.

What Okpebholo Said, in Full

His remarks covered several connected arguments, all delivered in the context of an APC campaign event ahead of Edo's local government elections.

On insecurity: He alleged that the recent rise in kidnappings and banditry was not organic but politically motivated. "He said insecurity had suddenly increased in the country, alleging that it is being orchestrated to tarnish the leadership of President Bola Tinubu," Daily Trust reported.

On the opposition's strategy: "What is happening today is the handiwork of the opposition. They have failed. Have they not failed? Is it by kidnapping children? Then who are you going to govern? There will be nobody for you to govern. So let them give us peace so that we can rule well," he said.

On political power through violence: "Those seeking political power should not distract President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from delivering good governance to Nigerians. Kidnapping innocent citizens will not win elections. Political power cannot be secured through criminal activities," he added, according to Channels Television.

On Tinubu's record: He praised the President's economic reforms, specifically the removal of the fuel subsidy, saying its impact had been felt through projects across Edo State. He described Tinubu as having done more for Nigeria than any of his predecessors.

On 2027: He pledged that Edo State would deliver 2.5 million votes for Tinubu in the general election, a target he said the APC candidates at Tuesday's event would help achieve.

Why the Remark Has Generated Reaction

The phrase "they can even kidnap all of us" was interpreted very differently depending on who heard it.

The governor's intended argument, as conveyed in the full speech across multiple outlets, is that the opposition cannot use insecurity to dislodge Tinubu from power. His point was that violence will not open the doors of Aso Rock. The phrase was a rhetorical dismissal of what he characterised as a politically-motivated destabilisation campaign.

But the remark arrived in a specific national moment. Twenty-five days have passed since gunmen, confirmed by the Defence Headquarters as members of the JAS Boko Haram faction, stormed three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and abducted approximately 39 pupils and seven teachers. One teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded in captivity. A second teacher was killed during the initial attack. As of June 9, no confirmed rescue has taken place.

The abductors have issued demands that include N1 billion, two Hilux vehicles, the release of imprisoned associates, and the introduction of Sharia law in Oyo State. The NUT strike in Oyo State is ongoing. Nationwide teacher protests have taken place in every state capital.

Against that backdrop, the phrase "they can even kidnap all of us" produced a sharp public response. Critics argued that a sitting governor casually using the language of kidnapping at a party rally, while real families wait for their abducted children after 25 days, reflected a tone-deafness that no political qualifier could resolve.

Supporters of Okpebholo's position argued that his point was clearly about the futility of violence as a political tool and that reading it any other way was a deliberate misrepresentation of his intent.

The Pattern This Statement Fits Into

Okpebholo's remarks are part of a broader narrative being advanced by senior APC officials, including the governor himself on multiple prior occasions, that Nigeria's insecurity challenges are being deliberately stoked or exaggerated by the political opposition to damage Tinubu's standing ahead of 2027.

In a May 1, 2026 interview on Channels Television, Okpebholo made a similar claim. "The opposition is using them just to make people say this president is not doing well," he said at the time, adding that "President Tinubu has made a landmark for this country, and this election is already as good as won."

The same argument was made, in different language, by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike at the June 2 teacher protest in Abuja, when he warned against politicising insecurity. Wike's remark also drew significant public backlash.

The opposition has not, in public statements reviewed for this article, claimed credit for or endorsed any act of kidnapping or violence. No evidence has been presented by any APC official, including Okpebholo, in support of the specific allegation that opposition figures are directly funding or directing the attacks.

The Defence Headquarters has attributed the Oyo school abduction to the JAS terrorist group, a Boko Haram faction with an established ideological agenda. Its stated demands, including the introduction of Sharia law, are not demands that track with the strategic interests of any mainstream Nigerian political party.

What No Response Has Come From

The opposition has not issued a formal response to Okpebholo's specific June 9 remarks as of the time of publication.

The families of the Oyo abductees have not commented on the governor's statement.

The Oyo State government has not responded.

The Federal Government has not responded.

The Numbers That Frame This Moment

As of June 9, 2026:

25 days since the attack on three schools in Oriire LGA, Oyo State. Approximately 39 pupils and seven teachers remain in captivity. Two teachers have been killed. The Defence Headquarters has confirmed JAS, a Boko Haram faction, was responsible. The abductors' demands include Sharia law, N1 billion, two Hilux vehicles, and the release of imprisoned associates. The NUT strike in Oyo State is ongoing. No confirmed rescue has taken place.

In that context, Governor Okpebholo declared at a party rally: "There is no vacancy in Aso Rock."

The public heard him.