Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo
By Akeem Atoyebi
The Peoples Democratic Party in Edo has alleged that four members of the Edo State House of Assembly allegedly collected N200m each as inducement to defect to the All Progressives Congress.
The lawmakers— Donald Okugbe (Akoko Edo Constituency II), Bright Iyamu (Orhionmwon South Constituency II), Richard Edosa (Oredo West Constituency), and Sunday Ojezele (Esan South East)—on Wednesday officially joined the APC at the party’s secretariat in Benin.
They were welcomed to the party by the acting Edo State APC Chairman, Jarret Tenebe, and other party leaders.
With this defection, the APC now holds 13 seats in the 24-member Assembly, while the PDP has 11. The Labour Party also lost its only lawmaker to the APC.
The PDP swiftly decried the defections, accusing Governor Monday Okpebholo of using state funds to bribe lawmakers.
“In confirmation of the alarm raised by our party last week that Governor Monday Okpebholo was planning to buy over PDP lawmakers with N200meach, four members have now defected, pocketing the money in the process,” said Chris Nehikhare, the PDP Caretaker Committee’s Publicity Secretary.
“We frown at this wanton waste of state resources and warn that misappropriation of government funds attracts severe consequences. Okpebholo will eventually account for this reckless expenditure.”
Nehikhare also criticised the governor for prioritizing political realignment over governance, particularly at a time when insecurity is escalating in Edo State.
“While insecurity ravages communities, claiming at least 40 lives in the last two weeks, the governor is focused on political horse-trading for his survival, rather than tackling urgent security concerns,” he added.
