Opposition accuses Okpebholo of wooing PDP lawmakers with N1.6bn
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State has accused Governor Monday Okpebholo of attempting to entice PDP lawmakers with N1.6bn to defect to the All Progressives Congress.
In a statement released on Thursday by its Caretaker Committee Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, the PDP condemned the alleged move, urging Okpebholo to focus on addressing the state’s pressing challenges.
“The Peoples Democratic Party is aware of the ploy by Senator Monday Okpebholo to offer N200m each to members of the Edo State House of Assembly elected on the PDP platform to defect to the All Progressives Congress,” the statement read.
“We strongly condemn Senator Okpebholo’s desperate plan to squander the resources of Edo State on political horse-trading for his own survival while critical sectors remain in dire need of government intervention.
“In recent weeks, at least 34 innocent Edo citizens have been brutally murdered across various communities due to rising insecurity. Properties worth millions of naira have been destroyed as the security crisis worsens.
“Small and large-scale farmers are being displaced daily, communities are being sacked by kidnappers and armed herders, and even the city centre is being overrun by non-state actors, leaving residents in fear and economic activities disrupted.
“The state is also grappling with severe infrastructure decay due to neglect. The health sector is in shambles, with hospitals and clinics lacking essential medical supplies. Even the Edo Specialist Hospital is struggling to provide the most basic consumables.
“With little hope of employment, more youths now look up to thugs as role models, as the government has failed to provide meaningful opportunities for their engagement.
“Unfortunately, amidst all these challenges, Okpebholo’s primary concern is his political survival. He and his political godfathers are scheming to squander billions of naira—funds that should be used to improve the lives of Edo people—on inducing Assembly members to defect to the APC.
“This is executive rascality at its peak, and we assert that this brazen act of corruption and reckless misplacement of priorities is shameful and unacceptable.”
The PDP called on “all well-meaning Edo people, civil society groups, and anti-corruption agencies to rise against this abuse of power and misappropriation of state resources.”
However, Edo State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Paul Ohonbamu, dismissed the claims by the PDP, stating that the governor remained focused on governance and development in the state.
“There is no truth to these allegations. Governor Okpebholo does not need to induce any PDP legislator to join the APC. If anyone is crossing over, it is because of the governor’s goodwill,” Ohonbamu stated.
“Without these legislators, the governor won his election. He does not need them to survive politically. Many of them have been meeting with APC leaders of their own accord and are joining voluntarily, without any form of inducement.
“The governor has no time to waste public funds on PDP lawmakers when we already have our own and the APC remains a large, accommodating party.
“The governor has done a lot for Edo State and will continue to work for the people. He is not someone who seeks validation from a handful of individuals.
“The Speaker himself has stated that politics should take a back seat in the Assembly, as governance should be about Edo State. Perhaps this is why the PDP is worried. However, if PDP lawmakers wish to join, the APC is big enough for everyone.”
