Seventeen out of the 18 local government chairmen in Edo State have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a significant shift in the state’s political landscape.
The defection, which took place on Wednesday at the New Festival Hall in Government House, saw the local government leaders formally align with the ruling party. However, Harrison Izekor, the acting chairman of Oredo Local Government, was absent from the event.
This move comes just days after PDP lawmakers in the Edo State House of Assembly also crossed over to the APC, solidifying the party’s control of the legislature.
Governor Monday Okpebholo received the defectors, commending their decision as a bold step towards progress. He highlighted the strides his administration had made in just four months, arguing that the previous PDP-led government had left the state in disarray.
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“Let me draw your minds back to where we are coming from as an administration. We practically met Edo that was not working when we came into office. What we met in Edo were insecurity, killings, looting of state treasury using consultants to deceive Edo people and other backward policies implemented by the Obaseki-led administration, but we came and changed the narrative,” Okpebholo stated.
The governor expressed gratitude to former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Edo North Senator, and APC State Chairman Jarret Tenebe for their unwavering support. He also acknowledged the role of councillors in the impeachment of previous local government chairmen, which paved the way for the newly appointed leaders.
“I also thank the councillors who spoke for their various communities through the impeachment exercises in the councils and subsequent appointment of these new chairmen across the 17 local government areas of the state,” he said.
Reaffirming his commitment to development, Okpebholo declared: “We are committed to the development of Edo State. We have come to rescue the state.”
He further expressed optimism that more opposition leaders would soon join the APC due to his administration’s infrastructural advancements. “I am optimistic that leaders of the opposition parties in the state would join the APC fold following my infrastructural development strides in the state,” he added.
The APC State Secretary, Lawrence Okah, urged the new members to integrate with existing party loyalists to drive Governor Okpebholo’s vision for Edo’s development.
“The desire of the governor is to unite the state and ensure the people enjoy the dividends of democracy through his developmental strides,” Okah stated.
On behalf of the defecting chairmen, ALGON Chairman and Esan Central LG Chairman, Kelvin Iyere, expressed gratitude to the APC leadership, explaining that internal party crises within the PDP had prompted their decision.
“We decided to decamp from PDP because of the crisis in our party and our love for the development that Governor Okpebholo has brought to Edo State,” Iyere said.
Okpebholo also pledged continued support for President Bola Tinubu, emphasizing that the APC was determined to secure victory in the 2027 elections.
Meanwhile, the PDP Caretaker Committee’s Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, accused Governor Okpebholo of using state funds to buy political loyalty. He alleged that councillors were being offered N2 million each to defect to the APC.
“Senator Monday Okpebholo has summoned all councillors from the 18 local councils of Edo State, in a desperate attempt to woo them with N2m each to decamp to the All Progressives Congress,” Nehikhare claimed.
He condemned what he described as the “reckless” use of state resources for political gain.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the reckless use of state resources to purchase support and loyalty, while critical sectors of the state remain in dire need of government intervention, from security to public safety and order, revenue generation, education, and healthcare, among others,” he said.
Nehikhare urged the governor to focus on governance rather than political maneuvering.
“Rather than wasting resources on buying political support and loyalty, we urge him to channel these resources into meaningful projects that will positively impact the people of the State during his short period at Dennis Osadebe Avenue,” he added.
The political realignment in Edo continues to unfold, setting the stage for a heated battle ahead of the next election cycle.
