By Ayo Ayodele
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has accused Governor Sen. Monday Okpebholo of misleading the public with his claim that the suspended local government chairmen transferred N12 billion to party chieftains over 15 months.
A statement issued by the Chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee in Edo State, Hon. Tony Azeigbemi, criticized Okpebholo for using the baseless allegation to justify his actions against the elected chairmen.
“We are not just a group of passive individuals; we have professionals such as journalists, teachers, and computer experts,” Azeigbemi said, dismissing the allegation as a blatant falsehood.
The statement further emphasized that “Every claim made by the governor in his statement is false and unfounded. At no point have PDP leaders received such funds from local government chairmen as the governor has ridiculously claimed. We believe the N12 billion figure may have been a mistake on the governor’s part, especially after his confusion regarding financials weeks ago. We challenge him to provide evidence to support these unfounded allegations.”
Azeigbemi added, “Okpebholo must understand that local government is not an appendage of the state government but a constitutionally recognized third tier of government, with its autonomy guaranteed by the Constitution of Nigeria. He should stop his executive overreach before the state is thrown into chaos.”
The statement concluded by highlighting the governor’s lack of capacity and a clear development plan for the state, urging him to focus on serving the people of Edo State during his time in office rather than jeopardizing the state’s peace and security for personal gain.