The Traffic

Edo Government Slams Governor-elect Okpebholo: Focus on Your N5bn Inauguration, Not Obaseki

By Achimi Muktar

The Edo State Government has hit back at Governor-elect, Monday Okpebholo, and his team, urging them to focus on the N5 billion inauguration ceremony scheduled for November 12, and stop dragging outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki into their "petty politics."

In a sharply-worded statement, Crusoe Osagie, Special Adviser to the governor on Media Projects, criticized the incoming government for prioritizing extravagant spending on the inauguration over urgent state matters. He condemned the excessive allocation of public funds, calling the lavish event a sad departure from the prudent fiscal practices that defined Obaseki’s administration.

“It’s disappointing that the new government has chosen to start its tenure with such an unconscionable spree of spending,” Osagie said. “Rather than focusing on governance and hitting the ground running, they are throwing extravagant parties with taxpayers’ money.”

Osagie also took issue with the exclusion of Governor Obaseki from the inauguration ceremony, calling it a reflection of the petty approach that seems to characterize the incoming administration. The incoming government is reportedly committed to spending up to N5 billion on the inauguration, with even more costs expected on the day of the event.

“It’s shocking that the governor was not invited to the inauguration,” Osagie noted. “It speaks volumes about the level of bitterness that has already taken root.”

Osagie further accused Okpebholo’s team of spreading misinformation and attempting to paint the outgoing government in a negative light. He emphasized the orderly and professional way the Obaseki administration was transitioning, compared to the chaos and vandalism of past transfers of power.

“Unlike previous administrations, we have maintained decorum in handing over government assets,” he stated. “But now, the incoming government wants to accuse us of misconduct—an attempt to distract the public from their own mismanagement.”

Osagie concluded by expressing disappointment that Edo State’s resources were being misused in this way, lamenting that the people of the state would be the ultimate losers in this politically charged spectacle.