Edo Govt, Peoples Democratic Party Clash Over Okpebholo’s Performance

The Edo State government and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, engaged in a war of words over the performance of Governor Monday Okpeholo’s administration.

The opposition PDP at a press conference during an end of year media briefing presided over by the state chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, accused  Okpebholo of presiding over what he described as “a year of drift, democratic rupture and systematic destruction of institutional legacy,” despite receiving billions of naira in federal allocations.

Aziegbemi, said figures from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) showed “humongous inflows of public funds” to Edo State and its local governments, but with little or no evidence of impact on infrastructure, social services or living standards.

“Edo people are asking a simple question: where is the money?. There is no visible improvement in roads, public utilities or social services. Allocations without accountability are not governance, and money without outcomes is not leadership.”

The PDP chairman further alleged that local government funds were being released to unelected administrators, while elected chairmen who had secured court judgments remained excluded from office.

He described the situation as “a grave assault on democracy and the rule of law.”

But in swift reaction, Edo State commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua lambasted the party, saying the Okpebholo’s government is too busy clearing the mess left behind by the then Obaseki-led PDP.

The commissioner asked which of the PDP factions addressed the press, noting that the party is fragmented into four factions.

He added that their cry is not unconnected with the fact that “feeding bottle has been removed from their well salivated mouth, and now coming to the reality that Edo state is now beyond their grip”.

Kassim said, “First and foremost, always take time to ask them what faction of the opposition PDP they belong, so we can begin to rationalize if they have the morality to interrogate us in the first place.

“Is it the same PDP members that are behaving like sheep without shepherds, or the beleaguered PDP that is manifestly belligerent in their opposition comments and analysis?

“Like I said before, this category of PDP vuvuzellas are simply crying because the state feeding bottle has been removed from their well salivated mouth, and now coming to the reality that Edo state is now beyond their grip.

“What Local Government administration are they talking about? The ones that were handpicked in a most monstrous selection process during the infantile years of Godwin Obaseki or which Local government executives are they talking about?

“We have moved ahead and left the crossroads of the PDP emanations. Responding to them is a huge mental waste  of time, when we are busy trying to clean up their mess and halitosis that they littered across the state, using deodorant and governmental performance to sanitise their pollution,” he said.