The Edo chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has dismissed Governor Monday Okpebholo’s claim of initiating the ongoing reconstruction of the Benin-Asaba Expressway as misleading and inaccurate.
In a statement on Saturday, the party’s caretaker committee’s Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, asserted that “the governor’s narrative distorts public records.”
Nehikhare strongly criticized the governor’s Chief Press Secretary for linking the project to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, calling it political propaganda and a misrepresentation of facts.
He clarified that the expressway project was actually conceived and finalized under former Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration through a structured public-private partnership framework.
“In January 2024, Obaseki signed a N228 billion concession agreement with Triple A Infrastructure, InfraCorp, and Africa Plus Partners to execute the redevelopment of the road,” Nehikhare stated. He explained that the project was part of the Federal Government’s Highway Development and Management Initiative and had undergone all necessary regulatory approvals and standards.
Nehikhare emphasized that the initiative was not a routine contract but a visionary infrastructure renewal effort designed by Obaseki to deliver long-term economic benefits. He insisted that the APC-led federal government played no role in the planning or initiation of the project, alleging that its execution was deliberately delayed until after the Edo 2024 elections.
The PDP dismissed Governor Okpebholo’s recent inspection tours of the project as mere publicity stunts, arguing that they added no real value to the project’s scope or funding. The party maintained that Edo residents were politically aware and could not be deceived. It urged the governor to focus on initiating and completing his own impactful projects rather than claiming credit for inherited ones.
Nehikhare concluded by challenging the governor to deliver on his mandate with original projects that genuinely benefit the people.
During a recent inspection, Governor Okpebholo had described the project as a tangible outcome of Tinubu’s RHA. He praised it as a cornerstone of the president’s development vision and a demonstration of the federal government’s commitment to its promises.
“This is part of the RHA of Mr President. He is taking this road straight to Asaba. It is going to be 10 lanes. Five on one side, five on the other side,” Okpebholo said. “Remember when this road was flagged off a few months ago, the Minister for Works was here. The Minister for Finance was also here. And I was here. This is the fruit of that flag-off.”
The governor added, “This is the demonstration of Mr President’s RHA for our people.”
