The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has dismissed allegations made by Governor Monday Okpebholo, accusing him of misleading the public about purported misappropriation of N12 billion by suspended local government chairmen.
In a statement issued by the Chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee in the state, Hon. Tony Azeigbemi, the party described the governor’s claims as baseless and an attempt to justify his actions against the elected local government chairmen.
“For clarity, we want to emphasize that every comment made by the governor in the statement is false and baseless. At no point have PDP leaders received any such funds from local government chairmen as alleged by the governor. We challenge him to provide evidence to substantiate these unfounded claims,” the statement read.
Azeigbemi further criticized Governor Okpebholo for what he termed “executive rascality,” reminding him that local governments are constitutionally recognized as an independent tier of government, not subordinates to the state government.
“Okpebholo must understand that the local government is neither an appendage nor a subordinate of the state government but a constitutionally recognized third tier of government. He must stop this executive overreach before the state descends into anarchy and chaos,” the statement added.
The PDP also accused the governor of lacking the capacity and vision to lead Edo State, describing him as “unprepared” for the role.
“Okpebholo’s real challenge lies in his lack of capacity and developmental plans for the state. He is a politician out of his depth who got into office unprepared, through the back door. We urge him to settle down, build capacity, and focus on serving the people of Edo State during his brief tenure, rather than jeopardizing the peace and security of the state in pursuit of selfish interests,” Azeigbemi concluded.
The PDP called on the governor to focus on governance and avoid making unsubstantiated claims that could disrupt the state’s peace and security.
