‘Misleading’- PDP condemns Okpebholo’s claim on Benin-Asaba road project

Okpebholo

The Edo chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described Gov. 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, said “the governor’s narrative distorts public records.”He condemned the claim by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary linking the project to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda(RHA), describing it as political propaganda and a misrepresentation of facts.

According to Nehikhare, the expressway project was conceived and finalised under former Gov. 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 said.

He explained that the project was part of the Federal Government’s Highway Development and Management Initiative and followed all required regulatory approvals and standards.

Nehikhare noted 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 execution was deliberately delayed until after the Edo 2024 elections.

Describing Okpebholo’s recent inspection tours of the project as mere publicity stunts, the PDP said the tours added no real value to the project’s scope or funding.

The party maintained that Edo people were politically aware and could not be deceived. Vanguard