The newly appointed Acting Chairman of the Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarret Tenebe, has come under scrutiny for his recent outburst of baseless and unfounded allegations against the fiscal management of the state by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government.
Tenebe’s remarks, which have been described as laughable and incredibly ridiculous, seem to be driven by an apparent discomfort with the remarkable achievements of Governor Godwin Obaseki across various sectors of the state over the past seven years. Critics argue that Tenebe’s attempts to discredit the governor’s accomplishments stem from the inability of his party to provide constructive criticisms as a viable opposition.
Rather than focusing on reviving his party, which is perceived as languishing in a state of dormancy, Tenebe has resorted to spreading misinformation in what appears to be a desperate bid for public attention.
In a recent statement, Tenebe made wild and off-the-mark comments suggesting that Edo State is burdened with a debt of $35 billion. However, the state government has swiftly dismissed this claim, asserting that its debt status is transparent and well within reasonable limits. The government argues that Tenebe’s lack of understanding of economic governance, fiscal responsibility, and debt-to-GDP ratio is evident in his misleading comments.
The Edo State APC further emphasized that opposition politics requires intelligence and tact, not “childish tantrums.” They urged Tenebe and others in the APC to redirect their efforts towards revitalizing the party ahead of the upcoming September 2024 governorship election, rather than engaging in what they term as “smear campaigns and cheap blackmail.”
The party stressed that Edo people are intelligent enough not to be swayed by such antics, and they expect a more constructive engagement from the opposition as the political landscape evolves towards the next election.