The Edo State Government has criticized the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for allegedly distorting facts regarding Governor Monday Okpebholo’s recent statements on state finances.
In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Fred Itua, the government accused the PDP’s caretaker committee and its spokesperson, Chris Nehikhare, of misrepresenting the Governor’s remarks. The government clarified that Okpebholo was referring to the alleged misappropriation of $10 million by former Governor Godwin Obaseki through The Observer Newspaper ahead of the 2024 governorship election, rather than the procurement of refurbished printing equipment from Ogbete Market in Enugu State, as Nehikhare suggested.
The statement alleged that Obaseki used The Observer Newspaper as a conduit to siphon public funds in the final days of his administration, describing the transaction as a financial maneuver that lacked transparency. It further dismissed claims regarding the efficiency of the printing machines procured by the previous administration, stating that the equipment was outdated and now requires billions of naira to function properly.
The government also rejected PDP’s criticism of the dismissal of Observer staff, questioning the logic behind expecting those no longer employed to continue managing the newspaper’s operations. It called on the opposition party to focus on addressing the real issues rather than what it described as attempts to mislead the public.
