Edo PDP Accuses Governor Okpebholo of Squandering N30bn Left by Obaseki

The Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, has been accused of misappropriating over N30 billion left in the state’s treasury by his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki, just two weeks after taking office.

The allegations were made by the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with party caretaker committee chairman, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, accusing Okpebholo of spending the funds to reward political “godfathers” who supported him during the September 21, 2024, governorship election.

During a press conference titled “State of the Nation Address,” Aziegbemi claimed that the APC-led administration had failed to pay November salaries to the state’s civil and public servants, a sharp contrast to the previous PDP-led government, which consistently paid salaries by the 26th of every month. He also accused the new government of procuring over N5 billion worth of vehicles without following proper procurement procedures and of attempting to misallocate more than N2 billion in inauguration costs, violating the Edo State Procurement Act.

Aziegbemi further stated, “For 8 years, the PDP administration ensured timely salary payments. But as of today, no one has received their November salary, despite the N30 billion left in the state’s coffers by Governor Obaseki.”

In response, the Edo State Government dismissed the allegations, with Governor Okpebholo’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, asserting that the new administration would expose the alleged corruption of the previous PDP government. Itua emphasized that the Okpebholo-led administration was focused on the swift development of Edo State and would not be deterred by what he described as baseless accusations.