Former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has vehemently denied allegations of a N96 billion fraud involving local government councils during his administration. The accusations came to light following a report by an administrative panel set up by the current Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, to probe the financial activities of the impeached local government chairmen from September 2023 to November 2024.
In a statement released by his media aide, Crusoe Osagie, Obaseki described the allegations as a “desperate move” by Governor Okpebholo to validate his administration’s “unconstitutional attacks” on the third tier of government. “We have read with disdain a statement by Monday Okpebholo alleging that the elected 18 local government chairmen in Edo State mismanaged N96 billion,” Osagie declared, further asserting that such claims were baseless and aimed at discrediting Obaseki’s governance.
The panel’s report claimed that the funds were either mismanaged or diverted into private accounts, a charge that Obaseki has refuted, highlighting that he had no control over local government funds throughout his eight-year term. “During the eight years that Obaseki was governor of Edo State, he never had supervisory powers over local government funds,” Osagie clarified, urging the public to disregard what he described as “lies and falsehood propagated by Okpebholo.”
This rebuttal comes after Governor Okpebholo, who succeeded Obaseki, announced the findings of the panel in December 2024, implicating not only Obaseki but also PDP leaders and several impeached local government chairmen. The current administration intends to forward the report to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation, signaling a potential legal battle ahead.
The controversy has stirred considerable debate on social media, where posts range from defending Obaseki’s legacy to questioning the transparency of local government finances. Some users have criticized the panel’s findings as politically motivated, while others demand accountability and a thorough investigation by independent bodies.
Obaseki’s tenure was marked by several reforms and initiatives aimed at improving governance and economic development in Edo State. His administration’s handling of local government affairs, particularly the financial management, has now come under scrutiny, potentially affecting his political legacy and the PDP’s standing in the state.
As this political drama unfolds, the focus shifts to how these allegations will be legally and politically addressed. The implications of this dispute extend beyond the financial to the very core of democratic practices in local governance, potentially setting precedents for how such allegations are handled in Nigeria’s political landscape.
