By DADA AYOKHAI
The two major political parties in Edo State are engaged in a heated dispute with the governorship election approaching in a few months.
The opposition APC has accused Gov Godwin Obaseki of using his company Afrivest and the law firm Banwo, Ighodalo & Associates, owned by the PDP Guber candidate Bar Asue Ighodalo, to embezzle state funds.
The accusations were made by the Edo State APC chairman, Hon Jarrett Tenebe, during a press conference in Benin, the Edo State capital.
The APC criticized the governor for allegedly using his company, Afrivest, to raise capital for state projects and secure consultancy jobs at inflated costs.
They also accused the governor of nepotism and using his associates to handle consultancy jobs .
The party also expressed concern about the governor’s administration resorting to “paperless” activities, specifically mentioning the engagement of someone named “Ugo” in charge of e-governance, with the alleged mandate to destroy digital footprints that could be used against the administration in the future.
The APC called on the EFCC to investigate the role of Banwo, Ighodalo and Associates and other associated companies in the contracts awarded to the PDP candidate under the Obaseki administration.
The Edo State Commissioner of Orientation and Communication, Mr. Chris Nekhihare, strongly rebutted the APC accusations by stating that the state government does not intend to dignify the APC.
He urged the party to focus on selling itself to the Edo electorates rather than clutching onto anything to regain relevance.
Nekhihare criticized the APC, stating that they lack a clear understanding of how the government is run and rely on sensationalism rather than offering any substantial policy statements or directions.
He further emphasized that the state government would not engage in political mudslinging with a party that lacks credentials and challenged the APC to present its plans for the state.
Nekhihare expressed full confidence in the PDP administration’s performance and dismissed the APC’s allegations as “frivolous and baseless”, asserting that the Obaseki administration has achieved significant progress in various sectors.
He urged the APC to grow up and stop indulging in fantasies about winning the September governorship election.
