The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the state government, led by Governor Monday Okpebholo, of discouraging investors and taking strategic investments to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the courts. This accusation was made in a statement by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Dan-Osa Ogbegie, in response to comments by the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, regarding the Radisson Hotel project.
According to Ogbegie, the state government’s actions are detrimental to the state’s economy and the lives of its citizens. He questioned how chasing away investors and engaging in propaganda could create jobs or improve the lives of youths. The PDP spokesperson emphasized that the Radisson Blu Hotel issue is already under litigation and that the state government’s attempts to tarnish the image of former Governor Godwin Obaseki are misguided.
Ogbegie alleged that the Okpebholo administration has been operating in a destructive manner, determined to dismantle and demonize Obaseki’s legacy projects, including the Museum of West African Art, the 95MW Ossiomo Power Project, and the ethanol investment in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area. He stated that these projects were not dismantled because they failed but because they succeeded and set standards that the incumbent government cannot replicate.
The PDP spokesperson described the Commissioner of Information and Strategy’s statement on the Radisson Hotel project as a “cocktail of ignorance and mischief,” demonstrating a lack of understanding of finance, social investments, and contemporary development economics. He explained that Public-Private Partnerships, Special Purpose Vehicles, and project-finance loans are standard practices in modern infrastructure development.
Ogbegie noted that under Godwin Obaseki’s administration, Edo State was elevated to international best practices in fiscal discipline, transparency, and investment-led growth. He emphasized that the Radisson Hotel project was structured as a Public-Private Partnership, with the state’s N2 billion contribution serving as seed equity to attract private capital. The project’s value has appreciated significantly, and the state retains equity in it.
The PDP has urged the Edo people to reject the politics of destruction and hold the Okpebholo administration accountable for governance and results. Ogbegie vowed that the PDP would not stand by while the state government drags Edo State backwards and attempts to rewrite history through propaganda and falsehoods. The party remains committed to promoting the truth and protecting the legacy of former Governor Obaseki, which is firmly etched in the state’s rebuilt institutions, delivered infrastructure, and restored fiscal discipline.