Tony Aziegbemi, Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, has strongly rebuked a recent statement by Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, calling the All Progressives Congress (APC) leader’s remarks a thinly veiled attempt at self-promotion.
In his rebuttal, Aziegbemi argued that Ize-Iyamu’s statement was not genuinely defending Governor Monday Okpebholo, but rather a calculated performance by a politician motivated entirely by personal ambition.
He said, “His write-up reeks of opportunism, revisionism, and desperation. Since he has deliberately misled the public, it is essential to clarify the facts with precision.”
Aziegbemi also criticized the Okpebholo administration’s handling of the Ramat Park flyover, insisting the project lacked proper transparency and adherence to due process.
“The so-called Ramat Park flyover cannot be considered an achievement. The contract was awarded without a proper design, without approval from a tenders board, without transparency, and with no basic procedural compliance,” he said.
He added that despite the government receiving over ₦236 billion in just ten months, it has yet to deliver a single completed project.
“What is being presented as development is nothing but rushed concrete, hollow publicity, and makeshift engineering. The people of Edo deserve far better,” Aziegbemi stated.
‘Ize-Iyamu’s Legitimacy Claims Are Hypocrisy’
The PDP chairman accused Ize-Iyamu of only showing respect for judicial legitimacy when it suits his political convenience.
“This is the same individual who rejected the 2016 election results, rejected them again in 2020, dragged matters through endless litigation, lost at every level, and only acknowledged the rule of law after exhausting all appeals,” Aziegbemi said.
He alleged that Ize-Iyamu privately held critical views of Okpebholo but now praises him publicly purely for political advantage.
“Hypocrisy has consistently been his hallmark,” he added.
‘Obaseki Delivered Edo’s Most Ambitious Infrastructure Since 1999’
Aziegbemi dismissed claims aimed at undermining former Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration, highlighting several key projects executed under the PDP government.
He pointed to initiatives such as the modern secretariat complex, John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy, Edo Tech Park, 1,200 km of fibre-optic network, refurbished colleges, multiple primary healthcare centres, modular refineries, independent power projects, and stormwater management interventions.
“The distinction between genuine development and rushed political construction is evident,” he said.
The PDP leader also faulted Ize-Iyamu’s critique of the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation programme.
“Over 11,300 teachers were trained, more than 900 schools strengthened, and over 300,000 learners impacted. To downplay such a landmark reform is not analysis; it is ignorance masquerading as commentary,” Aziegbemi stated.
He added that the challenges at Ambrose Alli University existed long before Okpebholo’s tenure, emphasizing that the Special Intervention Team successfully rescued the institution from entrenched corruption.
“The SIT uncovered over 1,300 ghost workers. What Governor Okpebholo now presents as restoration is merely the reinstatement of the same interests that had debilitated the university for decades,” he said.
‘Edo Economy Lacks Transparency Under Okpebholo’
Tony Aziegbemi, Chairman of the PDP in Edo State, criticized claims that the Okpebholo administration had plugged revenue leakages, arguing instead that the state is now being run without transparency.
He said, “Edo State operates without audited accounts, without published procurement details, without a functional land administration system, and Certificates of Occupancy are nearly suspended because the governor hasn’t mastered a consistent signature.”
According to Aziegbemi, investors are fleeing, and “economic governance has deteriorated into a system of patronage.”
He also slammed the government for failing to tackle rising insecurity.
“Violent cult clashes have escalated in Etsako West, Esan West, Egor, Ikpoba-Okha, Uhunmwode, and Oredo. Even main roads have seen a rise in kidnappings,” he noted.
“Bulldozers and media stunts do not amount to genuine security,” the PDP leader added.
Aziegbemi further dismissed the APC administration’s social welfare claims, arguing that “the pastor boasts of billion-naira bursaries, traders’ funds, and revived welfare schemes that are absent from any official budget or directive.”
‘Okpebholo’s Administration Fails in Agriculture’
The PDP chairman accused the APC government of contributing nothing to agricultural development, contrasting this with the success of the Edo State Oil Palm Programme.
“In an entire year, the Okpebholo administration has not cultivated a single hectare of farmland,” he said.
He defended the Museum of West African Art project, describing it as a world-class cultural initiative.
“To reduce such a monumental project to partisan propaganda is a sign of intellectual poverty,” he remarked.
Aziegbemi accused Ize-Iyamu of using public statements strategically to boost his chances for the Edo South senatorial seat in 2027.
“Everything he writes, says, or pretends to believe is merely an investment in that political ambition,” he claimed.
He also cited multiple occasions where Ize-Iyamu allegedly betrayed his political benefactors.
“No politician in Edo has consistently betrayed benefactors like Ize-Iyamu,” Aziegbemi said.
He recounted how Chief Lucky Igbinedion nurtured Ize-Iyamu politically, how Adams Oshiomhole risked his position to support him in 2020, and how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu backed him.
“His track record is clear: use, benefit, betray, abandon. The people of Edo are well aware of this pattern,” he stated.
Aziegbemi referenced remarks by Oshiomhole during the 2016 campaign, quoting him as saying Ize-Iyamu was “not fit to be governor,” “a liability to Edo State,” and “a man with a dark past.”
He noted that Ize-Iyamu’s recent behavior has done nothing to contradict these observations.
Aziegbemi concluded that no amount of public praise by Ize-Iyamu can cover up the failings of the current government.
“Edo State is in decline, and no amount of sycophantic praise from Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu can conceal the shortcomings of the Okpebholo administration,” he said.
“Edo deserves competent leadership, not opportunists auditioning for their next political gain.”
