The Edo State Government and the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have engaged in a heated exchange over allegations that Governor Monday Okpebholo is using unauthorised 2027 campaign billboards to seek favour from President Bola Tinubu.
The controversy follows a statement from the Presidency on Saturday disassociating itself from any premature campaign activities and calling for the immediate removal of all 2027 campaign billboards across the country.
Reacting to the development, Edo PDP Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, in a statement on Monday, described the Presidency’s disclaimer as a major embarrassment for Governor Okpebholo and a blow to what he called “reckless political grandstanding.”
“The Presidency has publicly disclaimed the premature and illegal 2027 campaign billboards flooding parts of Nigeria, including those promoted by Senator Monday Okpebholo and the APC-led government in Edo State,” Nehikhare stated.
He added that the APC’s alleged actions violated electoral laws and underscored what he called the party’s disregard for due process.
But in a swift rebuttal, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Fred Itua, dismissed the PDP’s claims as “reckless, misleading, and malicious,” accusing the opposition party of fabricating stories to remain relevant.
“The PDP once again peddled baseless claims and sought to mislead the public on matters it clearly does not understand or deliberately chooses to misrepresent,” Itua said.
He described the PDP’s statement as the product of a party “drowning in irrelevance” and noted that the party has no moral authority to criticise others, citing its past record of what he called executive impunity and abuse of office.
“Their tenure in power was defined by deceit, maladministration, and a relentless assault on truth and transparency,” the statement read.
The Edo State Government further warned that at the appropriate time, the PDP and its officials would be held accountable for what it described as “spurious allegations” against Governor Okpebholo and other public officials.
As both parties continue to trade accusations, the controversy underscores growing political tensions in Edo State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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