By Abigail Philip David
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticized Senator Monday Okpebholo for allegedly taking credit for the construction of Temboga Road and other projects completed during the tenure of his predecessor, Governor Godwin Obaseki.
In a statement on Sunday, Chris Nehikhare, Publicity Secretary of the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, accused Okpebholo of misleading the public by claiming to have flagged off the 7.5km Temboga Road project, which he said had already been completed under Obaseki’s administration. Nehikhare described the senator’s statements as “disingenuous” and urged him to focus on fulfilling his campaign promises instead of misrepresenting past achievements.
“It is unfortunate that Senator Monday Okpebholo, the governor-elect, is starting on the wrong footing by deceiving the people of Edo State with false claims of initiating projects already completed by the Obaseki-led government,” Nehikhare said. “The Temboga Road project was both initiated and completed under Obaseki’s administration. Edo people deserve better than this level of disingenuousness.”
He further called on Okpebholo to initiate projects that reflect his administration’s vision for Edo State, asserting, “Rather than rewriting the performance records of Governor Obaseki’s administration, we challenge Senator Okpebholo to deliver on his campaign promises and create new projects aligned with his vision for the state—if such a vision exists.”
In a swift response, Okpebholo’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, released a statement titled *“Temboga Road: Shame on PDP, Obaseki,”* in which he accused the PDP of exposing Obaseki’s administration’s failures.
“For over a year, the PDP-led administration failed to complete a mere 7.5km road,” Itua said. “Now they are embarrassed because Senator Okpebholo is committed to completing abandoned or poorly executed projects left by Obaseki. His focus is on providing critical infrastructure and creating economic opportunities for Edo State.”
Itua dismissed Nehikhare’s comments as the rantings of “retired politicians chasing clout and suffering from post-election trauma.” He assured the public that Okpebholo’s administration would not be distracted and remains committed to fulfilling its promises to the people of Edo State.
