Edo PDP Accuses Government of Chasing Away Investors

The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration of discouraging investors and diverting strategic investments to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the courts. The allegation was made in a statement by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Dan‑Osa Ogbegie, in response to remarks by State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Prince Kassim Afegbua about the Radisson Hotel project.

Ogbegie said the government’s actions are harming the state’s economy and its citizens, questioning how driving away investors and engaging in propaganda can create jobs or improve youths’ lives. He noted that the Radisson Blu Hotel issue is already under litigation and that the government’s attempts to tarnish former Governor Godwin Obaseki’s image are misguided.

According to Ogbegie, the Okpebholo administration is operating destructively, seeking to dismantle and demonise Obaseki’s legacy projects such as the Museum of West African Art, the 95 MW Ossiomo Power Project, and the ethanol investment in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area. He argued that these projects were not removed because they failed, but because they succeeded and set standards the current government cannot replicate.

The PDP spokesperson described the Commissioner’s statement on the Radisson Hotel as a “cocktail of ignorance and mischief,” reflecting a lack of understanding of finance, social investment 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 highlighted that under Obaseki’s administration Edo State achieved 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 since appreciated significantly, and the state retains equity in it.

The PDP has urged Edo residents to reject the politics of destruction and hold the Okpebholo administration accountable for governance and results. Ogbegie vowed that the party will not stand by while the government drags Edo State backward or attempts to rewrite history through propaganda and falsehoods. The party remains committed to promoting the truth and protecting Obaseki’s legacy, which is firmly etched in the state’s rebuilt institutions, delivered infrastructure and restored fiscal discipline.