Edo PDP Slams Governor Okpebholo Over Benin-Asaba Road Claims

The political atmosphere in Edo State is heating up again — this time over claims about who really kick-started the reconstruction of the Benin-Asaba Expressway.

On Saturday, the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) publicly called out Governor Monday Okpebholo, accusing him of misleading the public by claiming credit for a project they say he neither initiated nor funded.

According to a statement by Chris Nehikhare, the PDP’s caretaker committee Publicity Secretary, the road project was actually the brainchild of former Governor Godwin Obaseki. Nehikhare explained that Obaseki's administration had, back in January 2024, entered into a N228 billion public-private partnership agreement with Triple A Infrastructure, InfraCorp, and Africa Plus Partners to rehabilitate the Benin-Asaba Expressway.

He described the project as part of the Federal Government’s Highway Development and Management Initiative, which was properly approved and followed all required processes — long before Governor Okpebholo assumed office.

Nehikhare strongly criticized a recent press release by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, which attributed the project to President Tinubu’s "Renewed Hope Agenda." He dismissed the narrative as "political propaganda" designed to confuse the public and sway voters ahead of the 2024 Edo gubernatorial election.

He also accused the APC-led Federal Government of delaying the project’s execution for political reasons — to allow the current administration to appear as if it were driving the initiative.

Calling Governor Okpebholo’s recent site visits "political theatrics," the PDP said they added no real value to the work on the ground and warned against attempts to rewrite history.

“The people of Edo State are politically aware and will not be fooled by publicity stunts,” Nehikhare said.

The party challenged Governor Okpebholo to focus on creating his own legacy through original, people-focused development efforts — not by claiming the work of his predecessors.

As election season draws closer, the battle over credit for public projects is only just beginning, and Edo voters will be watching closely.