In a back-and-forth bitter exchange between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the achievements of Governor Monday Okpebholo in office in the past one year, the state government has accused the PDP of “deliberate misrepresentation” and distortion of the administration’s achievements.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that the PDP, at a press conference on Thursday addressed by Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, Edo State chairman of the party, dismissed Okpebholo’s one year in office as “a year of wasted opportunity, policy paralysis, and institutional regression, reducing his achievements to mere “award of flyovers just to siphon funds, attending an economic summit in Glasgow, Scotland without a dime coming into the state, and ordering commissioners to wear alleged “occultic caps” to the state executive council meetings or be sent out.
But responding in a statement on Friday titled “The Depleted Have Gone Mad Again”, signed by Fred Itua, the chief press secretary to the governor, the government lamented “a troubling pattern of misinformation” being circulated by certain political actors “whose aim is to mislead the public and distort the achievements of the current administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo”.
Itua said recent comments credited to the “Edo State factional chairman” of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Anthony Aziegbemi, fall squarely within this trend of deliberate misrepresentation.
He said his statements, marked by clear gaps in understanding and basic administrative procedure”, demanded a factual clarification for the sake of Edo people.
“It is unfortunate that Mr. Aziegbemi, rather than engage constructively, has chosen to peddle inaccuracies about the structure and operations of the present government. His comments on the Tenders Board, in particular, reveal a profound ignorance of procurement laws and administrative hierarchy.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Tender Board is a statutory body with clearly defined roles under Nigerian procurement regulations. It does not operate on the whims of political parties, nor is it subject to the emotional interpretations of party chairmen unfamiliar with governance procedures.
“The insinuation that its operations under this administration are irregular is not only false but exposes the chairman’s unfamiliarity with due process and the limits of his own knowledge. For his education, every Ministry in Edo State has its own statutory Tenders Board composed of the Commissioner, Permanent Secretary, and Directors, all legally empowered to evaluate and approve contracts within their designated limits.
“Beyond this, the apex Tenders Board of the State is the Executive Council – made up of the Governor, Deputy Governor, Secretary to the State Government, and all Commissioners – which handles approvals that exceed ministerial thresholds. This is not new, ambiguous, or controversial; it is what is obtainable across the country”, the governor’s spokesperson explained.
The statement said Aziegbemi’s attempt to manufacture controversy “mirrors the broader strategy deployed by figures intent on defending the failures of the immediate-past administration, even when the facts are glaring”.
According to Itua, “Edo people have not forgotten how a century-old, centrally located public health facility, the iconic Central Hospital, was demolished under the previous government. That hospital served generations and stood as a symbol of accessible public healthcare. Yet it was willfully replaced with a private entity disguised as a cultural project, the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA).
“It remains one of the clearest examples of governance gone wrong, where a public institution was sacrificed for a venture with no direct relevance to the healthcare needs of the people. Good governance prioritizes citizens, not private legacies or commercial monuments built on public land.
“Mr. Aziegbemi’s recent attempt to parade a list of so-called legacy achievements—including unverifiable claims such as an “Agricultural Hub,” the “Tayo Akpata Education Hub,” and the provision of “free WiFi at strategic locations”- only underscores the superficial nature of the former administration’s governance.
“These were projects heavy on slogans but light on substance. None provided measurable improvements to the lives of Edo people. Internet hotspots-sporadic and poorly maintained-never translated to economic empowerment or food security for the struggling households across the State. These claims represent the same pattern of inflated rhetoric and empty ceremony that characterized the previous era”.
Insisting that Edo people know better and are fully aware of how propaganda was elevated above genuine development”, Itua alleged that “The former administration perfected the art of public deception, offering glossy press briefings to mask a governance model that had little regard for transparency, accountability, or sustainable impact”, adding, “Those who benefited from that era may attempt to rewrite history, but facts remain stubborn things”.
The statement boasted that “Under Governor Monday Okpebholo, Edo State is undergoing a new phase marked by sincerity of purpose, fiscal discipline, and people-focused development”, stressing that “Our approach is simple: real projects, real impact, real accountability.
“Roads are being fixed. Healthcare infrastructure is being strengthened-not demolished. Education is receiving meaningful investment. Civil servants are respected, not humiliated. And unlike the previous leadership, this administration is not turning public institutions into private experiments or erecting monuments irrelevant to the daily realities of citizens”.
Itua said the government remained “committed to truth, transparency, and measurable development outcomes’, emphasising that “Edo people deserve leadership anchored on substance, not propaganda”.
He cautioned that “No amount of revisionist commentary-whether from party chairmen unfamiliar with administrative processes or from individuals nostalgic for a failed era-can derail the ongoing transformation”.
