BENIN CITY — The leading opposition political Party in Edo State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), announced yesterday that it has evaluated Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration over the past three months and has issued a vote of no confidence on him.
PDP claimed that the Governor has been insufficiently responsive to the overwhelming economic hardships being faced by the suffering residents of the state.
Addressing the Press in Benin City, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, Chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee, alleged that the state has experienced significant regression under Okpebholo’s administration.
Aziegbemi said the alleged retrogression being witnessed under the stewardship of the governor, encompass the Education, Health, Security and the Economic Sectors of the state.
According to him, “From education, where Edo has fallen behind, ranking lowest among states in terms of priority and budgetary allocations, to the health sector, where even basic medical supplies are unavailable, to security, economy, infrastructure, power, and technology, among others,” the underperformance is conspicuous for concerning stakeholders to see.
“These setbacks are particularly disheartening given the remarkable progress the state witnessed over the last eight years under the previous administration led by Mr. Godwin Obaseki.”
Speaking to the security concerns in the state, Aziegbemi emphasized that the primary responsibility of any government is to protect the lives and property of its citizens, adding, “In this regard, we can categorically say that the Okpebholo government has failed miserably.”
He alleged that, “From Edo South to Edo Central to Edo North, killings and violent attacks have become rampant. The state, which was repositioned as one of Nigeria’s safest places to live and do business during the Obaseki administration, has now become notorious for kidnappings and violent crimes. Kidnappers and other criminals now see it as a haven, the weakest link in the country’s security framework.
“Meanwhile, the supposed Chief Security Officer of the state stands dazed, overwhelmed, clueless, and utterly incapable of managing the worsening insecurity that has continued to claim the lives of innocent citizens almost daily,” he alleged.
The PDP Chairman Caretaker Committee for Edo State, continued his appraisal of the governor:
“In October 2024, during the final days of the Obaseki government, Edo’s monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) stood at approximately N8 billion. Today, under Okpebholo, the state is struggling with barely N3 billion monthly.
“In the last month alone, Edo State lost N1.3 billion in revenue. According to the recently released IGR report for February, revenue plummeted from N4.7 billion in January to N3.4 billion in February.
“We are also aware that in his first week in office, Okpebholo allegedly spent over N5 billion from the state’s coffers to acquire a new fleet of ultra-modern armored SUVs, while gifting the new armored SUVs procured by Obaseki to his government.
Reacting to the PDP’s allegations, the state government, through Commissioner for Information and Communication Mr. Paul Ohonbamu, stated PDP’s allegations were untrue.
Ohonbamu, explained that, contrary to the alleged economic stagnation in the last few months under the leadership of the Governor, the state has, instead, witnessed an increase in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
“In January, the Internally Generated Revenue rose to N10.4 billion and it is increasing. Under Obaseki, the highest they achieved was N7.8 billion.
“Under Obaseki, members of the Edo Security Network were not paid salaries. They were only given guns, which some of them used to commit crimes as most of them were cultists.
“The Okpebholo administration has collected over 5000 guns and reorganized the Security Corps, providing over 60 vehicles and hundreds of motorbikes for security agencies in the state to combat crimes.”
