Edo State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has described the recent allegation of Governor Monday Okpebholo that the eighteen local council Chairmen remitted over twelve billion naira to PDP leaders in fifteen months as baseless and a means to justify lawlessness.
A statement signed by the Chairman of the state caretaker committee of the PDP, Anthony Aziegbemi, denied the allegation, describing it as a blatant lie and should be regarded as a cocktail of complete falsehood.
Anthony Aziegbemi noted that the unintelligent falsehood is another failed attempt to mislead and distract the public from Edo State government’s blatant disregard for the rule of law, illegality, and ongoing extermination of democracy in the State.
Aziegbemi claimed that the party is aware of Governor Okpebholo’s desperation to access the local council’s treasury to reward godfathers and settle political debts he incurred during the last governorship election, thus exploring every opportunity to achieve this devious plan.
According to him, “having failed in the illegal suspension of the council chairmen, he is now sending thugs and non-state actors to attack council headquarters, kidnap councillors, and force them into impeaching the duly elected council chairmen”.
The chairman was emphatic that there was never a time that PDP leaders received funds from Local Government Chairmen as alleged by the Governor and challenged him to provide proof to substantiate the claims.
He called on Okpebholo to understand that the Local Government is neither an appendage nor a subordinate of the State Government but a constitutionally recognised third tier of government, whose independence and autonomy are guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and stop forthwith with what he said is the current executive rascality before the State descends into anarchy and chaos.
(Editor: Anoyoyo Ogiagboviogie)
