From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Monday Okpebholo, yesterday, engaged in verbal punches over a presidential statement denouncing campaigns for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.
The PDP, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary of the state Caretaker Committee, Chris Nehikhare, to react to a statement issued by Mr. Bayo Onanuga, triggered the exchange.
The PDP had said: “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.
“In a statement titled “Presidency Disclaims 2027 Campaign Billboards Nationwide,” the Federal Government expressed dismay over the growing number of unauthorised political billboards and reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the rule of law.
“This marks a major blow to Senator Okpebholo’s desperate attempts to curry favour with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through reckless and unlawful political grandstanding. The Edo State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier raised the alarm in a statement titled: “Okpebholo’s Launch of 2027 Presidential Campaigns for Tinubu in Edo: An Insult, an Affront to the Constitution.
“The Presidency’s intervention clearly validates our concerns and exposes the deceitful tactics of the Edo APC, which has shown a complete disregard for the nation’s electoral laws. Their antics have not only embarrassed Edo people but have now drawn a firm rebuke from the very leadership they were trying to impress.
“We now await the response of the Edo State Government to this direct disapproval from the Presidency. As we previously noted, Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 clearly states: “The period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.”
“The Edo PDP remains committed to defending constitutional order and protecting the integrity of our democracy against desperate and unlawful manipulation by the APC”.
But in a swift response, Governor Okpebholo in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, described the PDP statement as “reckless, misleading and malicious” saying that the party “once again peddled baseless claims and sought to mislead the public on matters it clearly does not understand or deliberately chooses to misrepresent.
“Let it be clearly stated that the statement is a shameful display of the PDP’s consistent obsession with fabricating lies against the person of Governor Monday Okpebholo and the progressive administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State. These repeated outbursts are the product of a party drowning in irrelevance and struggling desperately to remain in public discourse.
“It is hypocritical for the same PDP that has consistently desecrated the rule of law through executive impunity and abuse of office to now quote the Electoral Act in a dishonest attempt to score cheap political points. The Edo PDP is in no moral position to lecture anyone on constitutional order or democratic values. Their tenure in power was defined by deceit, maladministration, and a relentless assault on truth and transparency.
“Let it also be noted that at the appropriate time, the PDP and its officials, including Chris Nehikhare, will be held accountable for the spurious allegations they have repeatedly made against Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State and other public officials.
“Enough is enough. These unfounded and unsubstantiated claims have no bearing on the truth, and they constitute a deliberate effort to mislead the public, disrupt governance, and cause disaffection in the State.
“While Governor Monday Okpebholo has, in good faith and in his respect for the rule of law, allowed these provocations to slide, the Government will no longer tolerate this campaign of calumny. If Chris Nehikhare and other PDP leaders do not desist from peddling falsehoods and deliberately seeking to undermine the peace and progress of Edo State, they will be compelled—at the right time and before the appropriate legal authorities—to provide evidence for every wild claim they have made.
“The PDP has turned political discourse into a theatre of lies and bitterness. Their refusal to abide by the rules of engagement in a democratic society is shameful. They have, in several clandestine meetings, resolved to destabilize Edo State through misinformation and character assassination. But the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo will not be distracted. The Governor remains focused on delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Edo State.
“Edo belongs to all of us, and no amount of bitterness or false propaganda will derail the will of the people or slow down the pace of development,” the statement added.