The Edo State Government has dismissed a statement issued on December 2, 2025, by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing it as an emotional outburst that substitutes assertion for evidence, eulogy for scrutiny and tribal loyalty for accountability.
The government, in a statement signed by Governor Monday Okpebholo’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, said the PDP deliberately ignored the real issues affecting Edo people.
According to the statement, “Edo people deserve straight answers about governance, security and transparency, not rhetorical cover for conduct that left real and lasting harm in its wake.”
The state government accused the PDP of whitewashing the security lapses of the previous administration, insisting that the deterioration did not begin under Governor Okpebholo.
“Edo did not suddenly become a national concern after August 2024; the security deterioration accelerated during the last administration, and this is a fact the PDP refuses to confront,” the statement said.
It listed rising incidents of kidnappings, violent attacks in previously peaceful communities, the collapse of community vigilante structures due to poor coordination, and a lack of logistical support for security agencies as examples of systemic failures inherited from the former government.
One of the most disturbing incidents, the government noted, was the kidnapping of the then state PDP chairman, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, who was abducted in Benin City’s GRA and later freed in an operation that shocked residents.
“These events are on public record and demonstrate the reach of criminal networks that the new administration met,” Itua added.
Responding to allegations of vendetta, the government said the PDP was attempting to romanticise failed or incomplete projects that had unresolved disputes long before Okpebholo took office.
Saro Farms
The government said the much-touted Saro Farms project became a flashpoint of conflict because of contested land acquisitions, multiple community petitions and unresolved grievances.
According to the statement, several communities accused the previous administration of acquiring ancestral land “without proper settlement of outstanding claims or adequate consultation.”
“These disputes predate the current government and explain the unrest the PDP now pretends never existed,” Itua stated.
The government also dismissed PDP’s defence of the Benin Enterprise Park, insisting that the project remained “largely conceptual” and riddled with community and legal issues.
“Independent reporting showed unclear financing, unresolved land disputes and inadequate compensation. A project cannot run on slogans,” the CPS said.
He explained that the decision to pause and reassess the project was based on practical realities, not political sabotage.
MOWAA: Govt Raises Fresh Questions Over Transparency, Custodianship
The Edo Government also faulted the PDP for ignoring what it described as “serious unanswered questions” surrounding the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA).
Itua said protests by supporters of the Benin traditional institution, ...ponement of programme events, suspension of campus visits and a cultural and diplomatic dispute over custody of returned Benin bronzes were all well-documented.
Recent government steps to review and, in some cases, revoke land titles linked to MOWAA, the statement noted, were further evidence of the “absence of due diligence and transparency” in the project’s planning.
“Obaseki’s administration must explain the decision-making, land clearances and consultations that produced this impasse,” the statement insisted.
On land administration, the Edo State Government said complaints of overlapping allocations, sudden revocations and poor transparency marred the digital reforms introduced by the last administration led by Godwin Obaseki.
“Digital platforms succeed only when paired with fairness, clear records and community trust,” Itua argued.
Communities, elders and affected citizens reportedly raised repeated concerns, forcing the new government to launch audits aimed at restoring confidence in the land system.
EdoBEST Not Perfect
The government also countered the PDP’s glowing defence of EdoBEST and other reform programmes, saying many teachers, communities and independent assessors complained of implementation gaps.
According to Itua, there were shortages of teachers in rural schools, poor logistics and questions around the sustainability of the reforms.
“Strengthening and refining systems is not vandalism; it is responsible governance,” he added.
The Edo Government insisted that the PDP faction was attempting to elevate style over substance, arguing that commendations for previous initiatives could not erase unresolved land disputes, security breaches or the controversies surrounding MOWAA.
“If Obaseki and the PDP want to defend their legacy, they should produce documents, consultations, contract records, title histories and audited accounts that show clean hands,” the statement said.
The statement concluded that the current administration will operate with transparency and accountability: “Where errors were made or decisions need correction, Governor Okpebholo will correct them openly. Where criminality or mismanagement is uncovered, appropriate institutions will take over for lawful investigation.”
It added that the priority of the government remains security restoration, transparent audits, and rebuilding trust between government and traditional rulers, communities and institutions.
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