By: Titus Oise, Benin.

The Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP) has condemned Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, over rising insecurity across the state.

The group at the end of the well-attended general meeting of the Coalition in Benin City issued a communique, in which it decried the growing hardship at the federal and state levels.

According to the communique signed by the National Chairman of CRPP, Dr.Samson Isibor, “the CRPP commends and also sympathizes with the people of Edo State for their resilience and endurance in the face of economic strangulation by the government in power in the State and the state of insecurity, especially in Ekpoma, Edo Central, where Okpebholo comes from.

Isibor alleged that the Governor Okpebholo-led government has not met the expectations of the masses, saying he is the least performing governor the state has ever had. His words, We frown at claims by Okpebholo that he is the best Governor Edo has ever had and has performed better than previous governments. We call that propaganda that is far from the truth. In fact, he is the least performing Governor Edo has ever produced since its creation.

“We consider Governor Okpebholo’s claim that his government has performed better than previous governments as far from the truth and cannot be substantiated. While not serving as a mouthpiece for the government of former Governor Godwin Obaseki, as we never met him for once throughout his eight years in office, we, however, make bold to say that he performed much better than Okpebholo’s administration.

“We also condemn as a fallacy Governor Okpebholo’s claim that his government tolerates the opposition. Edo people know how intolerant his government is to CRPP’s advice and criticism. They are also aware of how his Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, abused and stigmatized us, labeled us a “chop-chop organization”, and threatened us in the manner of the infamous Nazi propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, just because we suggested how to move the state forward.

Continuing, Isibor said, “while recognizing the two flyover bridges under construction in Benin City as a good development, for which Okpebholo has continued to invite people from within and outside of Edo State to inspect. At what cost did Okpebholo award the Ramat Park flyover bridge to the Chinese company, and what is the timeline for the completion of the bridge? What is the role of First Bank in the two projects?

“When were they (flyover bridges) advertised for bidding and in which national newspapers? Besides the Chinese Firm they were awarded to, which other firms bid for the construction?

The people of Edo State deserve to know the answers to those pertinent questions; it is their right.

“We are putting the government of Okpebholo on notice that we shall be inviting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to beam its searchlights on these projects that are now the talk of the town.

On Governor Okpebholo’s vow to deliver 2.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu in 2027, the CRPP boss described such an assertion as deceitful. “We challenge Governor Okpebholo to explain to Edo people how he plans to deliver 2.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu in the coming election in 2027. To us, it is nothing more than wishful thinking, unless he plans to play political abracadabra with Edo voters.

“We assure him that Edo people will resist any attempt to subvert their wish through rigging, with the last drops of their blood.

Finally, we condemn Okpebholo’s undue interference and single-handedly picking candidates in the forthcoming primary election of his party. We urge him to let democracy breathe”, he posited.