Edo PDP, APC at loggerheads over hosting of governors, party summit amid loan controversy

By Editor 

July 5, 2025

The People's Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC in Edo State are at loggerheads over the hosting of the Progressive Governors Forum and the South South Summit of the party by Governor Monday Okpebholo.

DailyMonitorngr reports that the Progressive Governors Forum held a two-day strategic regional meeting last Saturday in Benin City, hosted by Governor Monday Okpebholo.

A statement signed by Chris Nehikhare, Publicity Secretary, Edo PDP Caretaker Committee accused Governor Okpebholo of turning Edo State into a theatre of political jamborees, wasting billions of naira in taxpayers’ money daily on hollow, self-serving political gatherings.

The main opposition party's accusation followed the APC leaders' "South-South Summit," slated to be held in Benin City on Saturday, July 5, 2025.

Nehikhare said the APC South-South Summit is coming barely a week after the Progressive Governors Forum.

He said the governor is squandering billions of scarce public funds to host the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the APC leaders' "South-South Summit," while borrowing N100 billion from a commercial bank.

The PDP statement's read in part, "It is quite appalling, disappointing, and most irrational that Senator Monday Okpebholo, who has been junketing across the country and beyond in search of loans to fund basic government operations, has now turned Edo State into a theatre of political jamborees, wasting billions of naira in taxpayers’ money daily on hollow, self-serving political gatherings.

"Barely days after squandering billions of scarce public funds to host All Progressives Congress (APC) governors in Benin City, Okpebholo, in the latest of his series of waste, is set to lavish another huge sums of money in hosting APC leaders for a "South-South Summit," again funded with taxpayers’ money. 

"All these needless jamborees and extravagances are happening while critical sectors like health, education, and infrastructure are grossly neglected, when there are no visible projects by his government, no real governance taking place in the State, and while the people continue to suffer from his government's maladministration. 

"To say the least, this is not only reckless and condemnable, but an affirmation that Okpebholo is a politician completely out of his depth and with zero commitment to the welfare of the people.

"Or how else does one explain that a governor who has been begging for loans to keep his government afloat, is expending billions of scarce resources to host back-to-back political jamborees and carnivals with no impact whatsoever on the people, except for his desperate selfish interest? 

"We are fully aware that the underlying motive behind these endless political jamborees is to curry favour with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, especially as the Supreme Court prepares to deliver its judgment on the 2024 gubernatorial election.

"Okpebholo and his cronies are desperately staging these events, recklessly wasting billions of tax payers monies to create a false impression of popularity and political relevance as part of a calculated ploy to blackmail both President Tinubu and the judiciary, while painting themselves as emissaries of the President to influence, pressure, or preempt a favourable judgment from the Supreme Court", he said.

The party which expressed confidence that President Tinubu and the judiciary cannot be deceived by these charades, however, urged Okpebholo to focus on governance and refrain from cheap politics of self and theatrical deception.

Reacting, Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie

State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, alleged that under PDP the state suffered tyranny, reckless borrowing, mindless debt accumulation, abandoned projects, and daily squandering of public funds under the guise of “Memoranda of Understanding,”

Igbinigie described it as ironic that PDP now has the effrontery to accuse Senator Okpebholo’s administration, barely seven months in office, of squandering resources.

According to him, unlike the PDP, which turned Edo State into a personal ATM for the sole administrator and his phony consultants, the APC under Senator Okpebholo has prioritized fiscal discipline, transparency, and inclusive governance. 

"The so-called 'political gatherings' Mr. Nehikhare bemoans are legitimate engagements that foster unity, strengthen regional collaboration, attract investment opportunities, and lay the groundwork for robust economic partnerships to benefit Edo people.

"It is even more amusing that the PDP, which frittered away billions on countless white elephant projects with no trace today, dares to talk about “neglect of critical sectors.

"Let me remind Mr. Nehikhare that in just weeks, Senator Okpebholo has rolled out actionable plans to fix our roads, revamp healthcare facilities, restore decayed schools, and reposition Edo for industrial growth, a feat the PDP could not achieve despite gulping over a trillion naira in allocations and loans in eight wasteful years.

"Senator Okpebholo remains focused on his mandate to restore Edo’s lost glory, rebuild trust in government, and deliver real dividends of democracy. No amount of sponsored falsehood will distract him or the APC family, he stated.

He, however, urged Edo people to ignore the outburst by PDP and stand firm with the APC as it repositions the state for genuine progress and prosperity.