Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of already tapping into the ₦27 billion set aside for ongoing state projects, with part of the money allegedly being used to fund the upcoming inauguration of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the new governor.
Obaseki, who is set to hand over power to Okpebholo on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, made these claims during a speech at the inauguration of a 10-man caretaker committee for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benin on Friday, November 8.
The governor expressed his frustration, stating that the APC is mismanaging state funds just days before the transfer of power. According to Obaseki, the incoming administration has already borrowed between ₦2 billion and ₦5 billion to cover the costs of the inauguration ceremony.
“They are going to spend as much money as possible to confuse the people and change their perception,” Obaseki said, adding that the funds taken from the ₦27 billion allocated for ongoing projects would be used to pay for the inauguration.
“We have almost ₦27 billion set aside for projects and obligations, but they have started blowing it. Now they’ve gone to borrow money for the inauguration, which will cost them between ₦2 billion and ₦5 billion. That is the money they will first take from the treasury,” he said.
Obaseki’s allegations have stirred a political storm in the state, with the outgoing governor voicing concerns about the financial management practices of the incoming APC government.
In response to Obaseki’s claims, Prince Kassim Afegbua, a member of the APC transition committee, strongly rejected the accusations. He dismissed Obaseki’s allegations about the mismanagement of funds as baseless, stating that it was not an issue for the APC but for the outgoing government to handle.
Afegbua’s comments were pointed and critical. “Is that not an indictment on his government that a government that is supposed to organize the inauguration for us is running away?” he questioned. “Is Donald Trump going to inaugurate himself? Is it not an outgoing government that should organize an inauguration for an incoming one?”
The APC transition committee member further criticized Obaseki’s complaints about not being invited to the inauguration. Afegbua explained that it was customary for the outgoing government to plan and execute the inauguration of the incoming administration.
“All over the world, the sitting government plans and organizes the inauguration for their incoming successor. That they’ve been running away is not enough reason for us to invite him when they’re not forthcoming,” Afegbua added.
The allegations of misused funds and a lack of cooperation between the outgoing and incoming governments have cast a shadow over the transition process in Edo State. Obaseki’s comments paint a picture of an administration struggling to maintain control of state finances while preparing for the handover to Okpebholo’s team.
