Edo council chairmen debunk Okpebholo’s defection claim

By Sunday Ani

The elected local government chairmen in Edo State have debunked Governor Monday Okpebholo’s claim that the council chairmen have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to support President Bola Tinubu’s reelection bid in 2027.

They described the event where some councillors were received as acting chairmen as a ploy to mislead the President into believing that the council chairmen have defected to the APC in support of his 2027 presidential bid.

A statement by the Forum of Edo State Local Government Councils Chief Press Secretaries, described the move as a desperate desire of the Governor to seek cheap relevance and undue sympathy to induce influence in the final tribunal judgement.

The council chairmen described the governor’s speech at the gathering as empty, saying he has failed to find a lasting solution to the infrastructure, security and economic challenges that are obvious across all local government councils in the state.

“We wish to inform the public that those who defected were councillors without political relevance to deliver their wards. No duly elected local government council chairman defected or was present in the gathering. Elected Chairmen wish to distance themselves from the charade and called on the Nigerian media to stop misleading the public with headlines that don’t represent the reality,” the statement read.