A FRESH political row has erupted in Edo State as the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo clash over allegations of reckless spending, foreign trips, and neglect of governance.
In a statement issued on Thursday made available to News Point Nigeria, the PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, accused Governor Okpebholo and his deputy, Dennis Idahosa, of abandoning their responsibilities for “endless foreign junkets” while insecurity and economic hardship bite harder across the state.
The PDP further alleged that the government was planning to spend ₦4.2 billion on 28 luxury SUVs, each estimated at ₦150 million, for the newly nominated commissioners.
“This reckless expansion of government comes on top of a growing army of advisers, board chairmen, and heads of parastatals, which has driven the cost of governance in Edo to an all-time high,” Nehikhare said.
He described the request for the confirmation of 28 commissioner-nominees as the “most bloated executive council in Edo’s history,” warning that ordinary citizens were suffering neglect.
The PDP also accused the government of delaying workers’ entitlements, abandoning public projects, and failing to tackle worsening insecurity.
“Are Okpebholo and Idahosa unaware that farmers have abandoned their farmlands due to armed gangs, that kidnappers terrorise highways, and that traders are forced to close early out of fear? Edo people deserve leadership, not junketing abroad,” the statement added.
But in a swift rebuttal, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, dismissed the allegations as “reckless, misleading, and desperate.”
Itua insisted that the deputy governor, Idahosa, was currently in Edo State and actively carrying out his duties, contrary to the PDP’s claims.
“The PDP must be reminded that governance in Edo today is not run on propaganda or guesswork but on systems, structures, and accountability,” Itua said in a statement titled ‘PDP Goofs Again’.
He pointed to Edo’s ₦75,000 minimum wage, one of the highest in the country, as evidence that the government was committed to workers’ welfare.
On allegations of failing sectors like health and education, Itua shifted the blame to the immediate past administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki, under the PDP.
“If schools lack teaching personnel and hospitals are in disrepair, then the blame rests squarely on Obaseki’s government, not the current administration. Edo people know where the rot came from,” he argued.
Responding to the charge of an over-bloated cabinet, the Okpebholo administration defended its nomination of 28 commissioners, saying inclusiveness was being wrongly portrayed as excess.
“The current administration is building a government of capacity, competence, and representation across all senatorial districts. It remains resolute in delivering the dividends of democracy, restoring Edo’s pride, and securing a prosperous future,” Itua stressed.