The Edo State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over what it describes as an ongoing constitutional crisis orchestrated by the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
The party accused the state government of crippling local government administration, pushing Edo State towards chaos and anarchy.
In a press conference held in Benin City, the Chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee in Edo State, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, called on stakeholders and the public to take note of the unfolding events.
He recounted how local government elections were conducted on September 2, 2023, by the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC), in line with the Local Government Electoral Law passed by the Edo State House of Assembly.
He asserted that the elections were free, fair, and transparent, leading to the lawful emergence of council chairmen, vice chairmen, and councillors across the state.
Dr. Aziegbemi noted that while some parties challenged the election results in court, all legal disputes were resolved within the framework of the law. He further accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of boycotting the elections due to their perceived slim chances of winning.
According to him, the local government councils functioned effectively from September 4, 2023, when the elected officials were sworn in, until December 16, 2024, when the crisis began. The PDP Chairman alleged that Governor Okpebholo, who had barely spent a month in office, wrote to the Edo State House of Assembly, directing the suspension of duly elected council chairmen on the grounds of alleged gross misconduct and insubordination, without granting them a fair hearing.
The House of Assembly, according to the PDP, executed the directive without legal justification and extended the suspension to the vice chairmen, raising concerns over the legality of such actions.
The PDP Chairman cited multiple judicial rulings against the state government’s interference in local government administration. The Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, had ruled that neither the state government nor the House of Assembly had the authority to suspend or dissolve elected local government officials. He referenced a July 11, 2024, Supreme Court judgment that reinforced this position.
Justice Okungbowa further declared Section 10(1) of the Edo State Local Government Law, 2000 unconstitutional, stating that it conflicted with Section 7(1) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). He affirmed that elected local government officials were entitled to serve their full three-year tenure without interference.
Despite these rulings, the PDP accused the state government of ignoring the judiciary’s orders, appointing Heads of Local Governments Administration (HOLGA) and other impostors to act as council chairmen. The party alleged that new bank accounts were illegally opened in the names of these appointees, who have been receiving local government allocations since the illegal suspensions.
The party also pointed to the intervention of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, who warned that the unconstitutional removal of elected local government chairmen by governors amounted to a treasonable offense. However, the PDP claimed that Okpebholo ignored these warnings and resorted to deploying thugs to enforce the suspension.
Dr. Aziegbemi alleged that Governor Okpebholo mobilized impostors and non-elected local government legislators to conduct sham impeachment processes. He cited examples from Oredo and Orhionmwon local government areas, where he claimed hired individuals staged fake impeachment proceedings against the legitimate council chairmen.
The PDP further accused the state government of financial mismanagement, alleging that over N30 billion in local government funds had been allocated to the state since the illegal suspensions began, with no accountability for how the funds were spent. It also claimed that salaries of elected council officials, including chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries, and supervisory councilors, had been withheld, while only selected loyal councillors received payments.
Condemning what it described as “executive rascality and impunity,” the PDP called on the Edo State House of Assembly to recall the suspended council chairmen immediately to restore governance at the grassroots level. It urged the Attorney General of the Federation to take further action beyond pronouncements and to institute contempt proceedings against the Edo State Attorney General for defying Supreme Court rulings.
The party also called for an immediate halt to local government allocations to Edo State through the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) until a properly constituted local government administration is restored.