Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo on Tuesday accused the recently suspended 18 local government council chairmen of diverting N12 billion over 15 months to leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The claim has ignited a political storm, with the PDP vehemently denying the allegations and challenging the governor to provide evidence.
The Edo State House of Assembly had suspended the chairmen on December 17, 2024, following a petition from the governor citing their refusal to submit financial records.
The chairmen have since taken legal action, securing a court order to maintain the status quo pending a final ruling. Meanwhile, some legislative leaders in the councils have assumed executive roles, and two of the suspended chairmen have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking at a meeting with acting chairmen and councillors at the Government House on Tuesday, Okpebholo detailed what he described as a troubling pattern of financial mismanagement.
His Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, issued a statement quoting the governor, who claimed to have uncovered an unusual expenditure labeled “Environmental Security Funding” totaling N800 million monthly.
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“These chairmen were allegedly contributing this money and giving it to leaders of a party,” Okpebholo said. He recounted how he initially requested the chairmen to clarify the spending but received no satisfactory explanation.
“My deputy met with them and asked for their financial records. They promised to submit them within 24 to 48 hours but failed to do so even after two weeks,” he added.
The governor stated that he subsequently involved the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Edo State House of Assembly, which led to the chairmen’s suspension.
He accused the chairmen of prioritizing wasteful spending over critical needs, such as addressing the shortage of teachers in primary schools.
“When you visit primary schools, you find two or three teachers where there should be 10 to 12. Meanwhile, local funds were allegedly being diverted,” he lamented.
Okpebholo praised the acting chairmen for impeaching some of their predecessors and pledged to work with them to drive grassroots development.
The Edo PDP Caretaker Committee Chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, dismissed the governor’s claims as baseless. He demanded that Okpebholo substantiate his allegations with evidence and accused him of taking extralegal actions.
“No such money was given to PDP leaders. We challenge the governor to provide evidence—who received what, when, how, and from whom,” Aziegbemi stated.
He criticized Okpebholo for allegedly attempting to justify the “illegal suspension” of the chairmen by throwing around unverified figures.
“As the state chairman, I can confidently say I am not aware that such money was given to anyone. If the governor has evidence of wrongdoing, he should report it to the anti-corruption agencies. We live in a state where the rule of law must prevail,” Aziegbemi said, accusing the governor of tarnishing the office he holds.
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