The All Progressives Congress (APC) transition committee has clarified that outgoing Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki was not invited to the inauguration of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the new governor due to his purported attempts to sabotage the event.
According to reports, Okpebholo, the APC nominee, won the 2024 gubernatorial election and is set to take over from Governor Obaseki, whose two terms will end on November 12, 2024. Okpebholo emerged victorious over his closest competitor, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as well as 15 other candidates in the election held on September 21, 2024.
In a statement issued in Benin City titled “Obaseki and His Lamentations,” Prince Kassim Afegbua, a member of the APC transition committee, criticized the outgoing governor for allegedly undermining the transition process.
Afegbua alleged that rather than facilitate the inauguration, as is customary in such transitions, Obaseki was actively working against it.
In response to Obaseki’s claims that the governor-elect had borrowed between ₦2 billion and ₦5 billion from the state’s ₦27 billion fund reserved for project payments, the APC committee dismissed these allegations as “laughable” and indicative of the PDP’s defeat in the elections.
Obaseki had expressed concerns during a recent PDP gathering, stating that the inauguration could cost between N2 billion and N5 billion, implying that funds were being misappropriated for an extravagant ceremony. He also voiced his discontent over the lack of an invitation to the event.
The APC transition committee emphasized that Obaseki’s assertions were baseless. They pointed out that in many countries, outgoing leaders typically organize the inauguration of their successors, but Obaseki’s actions seemed aimed at obstructing a smooth power transfer.
The committee accused him of placing unnecessary demands, such as requesting an inauguration budget, which the APC refused to supply.
Afegbua further revealed that the governor-elect had assumed responsibility for funding the inauguration, ensuring the event would be modest and centered on the needs of Edo citizens rather than lavish displays.
He asserted that no funds had been borrowed for the inauguration, countering Obaseki’s claims, and reaffirmed the new administration’s commitment to responsible fiscal management.
“Suddenly, Godwin Obaseki has realized the transient nature of power and now resorts to lamentations about an inauguration he was not invited to. We find this both amusing and self-incriminating.
“In other regions, it is customary for an outgoing governor or president to facilitate the inauguration of the incoming leader. However, following the painful defeat of the PDP, Governor Obaseki and his associates seem intent on frustrating the new governor’s inauguration.
“Instead of collaboratively planning the inauguration as is standard practice, Obaseki appears to be planting obstacles in the way of a smooth transition.
“Despite our cooperation with both the transition committee and the inauguration team, we have faced frustration and deliberate attempts to burden the new administration with misguided decisions.
“We reject these dubious maneuvers that contradict the standard protocols for power transfer recognized globally.
“Our inauguration team met with the Secretary to the State Government, who then referred us to another Permanent Secretary with no preparatory documents. When the Permanent Secretary requested an inauguration budget, we declined to avoid being accused of extravagant spending.
Afegbua also raised alarms over the alleged misappropriation of government assets, claiming that officials had seized most government vehicles, leaving only one operational vehicle at the Edo State Government House.
He concluded by questioning the intentions of a government that permits such actions and called for a fair and orderly transition as the new administration prepares to take office.
“He has also scaled back activities to ensure the ceremony remains moderate. He believes that an ostentatious display of resources is inappropriate, especially when many Edo citizens have suffered under Governor Obaseki’s leadership. The inauguration should not be a grand affair.
“We have not borrowed any money. Unlike Governor Obaseki and his wasteful habits, we are aware of our responsibilities to improve the lives of ordinary Edo citizens,” he stated.
“Why should we incur debt for an inauguration? As it stands, most government vehicles have been taken by officials, leaving just one functional vehicle. Is that a government genuinely interested in a smooth inauguration?” he questioned.
