The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticized the state government for what it describes as slow development, arguing that progress in Edo is not proportional to the funds received from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
At a year-end press conference at the party’s secretariat in Benin on Wednesday, PDP State Chairman Tony Aziegbemi accused Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo’s administration of poor governance, highlighting what he called a “deeply troubling state” of affairs.
The PDP’s concerns were outlined in a report titled “Edo State Under Okpebholo: A Year of Drift, Democratic Rupture and Systemic Destruction of Institutional Legacy.”
Aziegbemi said, “At the start of this briefing, we presented a table of statutory FAAC allocations received by Edo State and its local government areas over the relevant period. The figures show massive inflows of public funds, running into tens of billions of naira. Yet the pressing question is: where is the evidence of this money on the ground?”
He added that there has been no corresponding improvement in infrastructure, social services, or public institutions. Roads are deteriorating, public utilities are struggling, local government areas are paralysed, and basic governance is absent.
Aziegbemi also criticized the handling of local government administrations, stating that statutory allocations continue to be released to unelected officials while court-recognized chairmen are excluded. He further described the Edo State Executive Council as overbloated, serving more as a patronage network than a policy-driven cabinet, noting that appointments have increased while effective governance has declined.
In response, Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, dismissed the PDP’s claims, describing party members as “sheep without a shepherd.”
Afegbua said, “First, we should ask which faction of the PDP they belong to, to determine their credibility. The party is divided into multiple factions, unable to present a unified stance or meaningful roadmap for the state. They are crying because the state is no longer under their influence.”
He questioned the PDP’s references to local government administration, claiming the current government has moved past what he called the “crossroads of PDP emanations,” and asserted, “We are too busy cleaning up their mess to engage in such ripostes.”
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