FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
Chairman, Edo State People’s Democratic Party ,PDP, Caretaker Committee, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi has accused Governor Monday Okpebholo of engaging in total falsehood over a damning allegations of embezzlement by the suspended 18 Local Government Chairmen.
Okpebholo had on Tuesday alleged that the 18 council Chairmen siphoned over N12 billion to PDP leaders.
In a swift statement in Benin, Aziegbemi however insisted that Okpebholo’s spurious and baseless claims on remittance of funds to PDP leaders is a ploy aimed at “justifying the lawlessness, extermination of democracy and brutal attack on the state’s 18 local councils as executed by his clueless government”.
Aziegbemi maintained: “We want to categorically state the unfounded allegations are a blatant lie and should be disregarded as a cocktail of complete falsehood.
He said,the resort to unintelligent lies and falsehood is just another failed attempt by the governor to mislead the public and distract from his government’s blatant disregard for the rule of law, illegality, and ongoing extermination of democracy in the state.
“We are aware that the governor is desperate to get access to the local councils’ treasury to reward godfathers and settle political debts he incurred during the last governorship election and is exploring every opportunity to achieve this devious plan”.
The PDP chairman said that having failed in the illegal suspension of the council chairmen, Okpebholo sent thugs and non-state actors to attack council headquarters, kidnap councilors, and force them into impeaching the duly elected council chairmen.
Aziegbemi accused the governor of desperately looking for excuses to justify the illegality and lawlessness and has decided to point accusing fingers at the main opposition party to mask his ignoble acts.
He emphasized that every comment made by the governor in the statement is false and baseless, adding that at no point did PDP leaders receive any such funds from local government chairmen as alleged.
According to the chairman, “We doubt very much that the figure blotted out by the governor is actually the figure he intended to say. We know he was confused a few weeks ago when he was confronted with financials. However, we challenge him to provide proof to substantiate these unfounded claims.
He urged the Governor to settle down, build capacity, and focus on serving the people of Edo State rather than jeopardize the peace and security of the state in desperate pursuit of his selfish interests.
“Okpebholo must understand that the local government is neither an appendage nor a subordinate of the state government, but a constitutionally
recognized third tier of government, whose independence and autonomy are guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and stop forthwith with this executive rascality before the state descends into anarchy and chaos”, he said.
