PDP Cannot Shield Obaseki From Accountability—Edo Govt

The Edo State Government has said the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) defence of former Governor Godwin Obaseki cannot erase unresolved controversies inherited by the current administration.

In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Fred Itua, the government said the PDP’s release failed to address the core issues raised.

According to the statement, “The release repeatedly substitutes assertion for evidence, eulogy for scrutiny, and tribal loyalty for accountability.

“Edo people deserve straight answers about governance, security and transparency, not rhetorical cover for conduct that left real and lasting harm in its wake.”

On security, the government said the situation worsened before the new administration came in. It quoted:

“Edo did not suddenly become a national concern after August 2024; the security deterioration accelerated during the last administration…

“Kidnappings and violent attacks rose in areas that were formerly secure, community vigilante efforts collapsed under poor coordination, and formal security agencies were left without the logistics and institutional support critical for coordinated response.”

Responding to claims of vendetta against past projects, the government said the issues predate Okpebholo’s administration.

“Saro Farms became a flashpoint because of contested land acquisition processes and community grievances. These disputes predate the current government and explain local resistance and unrest,” the state government said.

On the Benin Enterprise Park, the statement said the project was not as the PDP portrayed it, noting that independent reporting and local analysis found the project largely conceptual.

The government described the project as slowed by legal and community disputes, unclear financing, and inadequate groundwork for community inclusion and compensation.

The government also raised concerns about the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA).

“The controversy is not merely about aesthetics or politics; it turned on who holds ultimate custodial authority over returned Benin bronzes and whether the museum’s planning process adequately engaged the Oba and other cultural stakeholders.”

Regarding EDOGIS, the statement quoted widespread complaints during the last administration.

“There were repeated community complaints about overlapping allocations, sudden revocations and a perception that digital tools were being used to obscure, rather than clarify, land decisions,” the government said.

On civil service and education reforms, the government said EdoBEST faced genuine operational concerns.

“Many teachers, school communities and independent reviewers documented hard implementation gaps… Strengthening and refining those systems is a legitimate public policy task, not an act of partisan vandalism.”

The statement further stressed that accountability, not politics, guides the current administration’s actions.

“Edo deserves sober answers, credible documentation and accountable governance…where errors were made, or decisions need correction, Governor Okpebholo will correct them openly.

“Where criminality or mismanagement is revealed, the administration will hand matters to the appropriate institutions,” the statement said.