The Edo State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday described the one year of Senator Monday Okpebholo’s administration as a wasted year marked by “drift, deceit, and decline.”
At a press conference in Benin City, the PDP Chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, alleged that governance and institutional order in the state had collapsed under the current administration, leading to economic stagnation and fiscal recklessness.
“While other states are consolidating reforms, driving innovation, and expanding growth, Edo has tragically returned to the pre-Obaseki era, an age defined by ignorance, propaganda, and prebendal politics,” Aziegbemi said.
He accused the Okpebholo-led government of dismantling EdoGIS, the digital land administration system that brought order and transparency to land management in the state.
“For almost a year, no Certificates of Occupancy have been signed, leaving investors stranded and property owners trapped. Under the former administration, 1,000 Certificates were signed monthly; only 25 have been signed in 365 days,” he claimed.
Aziegbemi further described the administration as “accidental leadership,” saying it had failed to initiate any meaningful capital project apart from “an ill-thought-out flyover.”
He alleged that the state cabinet was belatedly formed and filled with “recycled aides without vision,” while due process in governance had been abandoned.
“Contracts are awarded in secrecy, merit has been discarded, and the government now operates like a personal fiefdom driven by emotion, not policy,” he stated.
The PDP chairman also accused the government of neglecting local councils, claiming that workers and pensioners were owed salaries.
“Governor Obaseki received ₦154 billion in ten months of 2024, while Okpebholo has received ₦236 billion in the last ten months and has done nothing with it,” he alleged.
On infrastructure, Aziegbemi said Benin City was “sinking under filth,” with failed roads, non-functional streetlights, and abandoned projects.
He also lamented the “collapse” of the EdoBEST education programme, claiming that schools and teachers had been neglected, and scholarship schemes scrapped.
In the health sector, Aziegbemi said:
“Primary health centres are starved of funds; specialist hospitals are struggling. The health insurance scheme is abandoned, and the dialysis machines at the Edo Specialist Hospital are lying unused.”
He alleged that propaganda was now the most active department in the government.
“Rather than build, they spend taxpayers’ money attacking perceived enemies — Obaseki, the PDP, journalists, and civic voices. We challenge the Okpebholo media team to name five verifiable achievements in one year.”
On the controversy surrounding the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), Aziegbemi said the criticism of the project was misplaced.
“Museums are not profit-making ventures but catalysts for tourism, job creation, and cultural preservation. MOWAA was designed to diversify Edo’s economy and empower the youth.”
In his response, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, dismissed the PDP’s claims as “baseless and laughable,” accusing the opposition of deceit and hypocrisy.
“They are used to lies, deep in deceit, soaked in liquor, and psychedelic in emanation. Responding to PDP is like watching a bunch of comedians looking for spectators,” he said.
Afegbua maintained that the Okpebholo administration was delivering on its promises and transforming Edo State.
“From flyovers to road construction, school rehabilitation to healthcare projects, Governor Okpebholo has turned Edo into a construction site. Those used to Obubuyaya-style propaganda cannot recognize genuine development when they see one,” he added.
