The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has fired back at the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government in the state, describing its ongoing investigation of the Radisson Hotel project and other legacy initiatives of former governor, Godwin Obaseki, as a “dangerous, self-serving agenda” driven by vendetta and “intellectual bankruptcy.”

In a statement issued to Gossip News Now on Saturday, the PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Dan Osa-Ogbegie, Esq., responded to claims by the Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, who recently alleged that the Radisson Hotel project left the state with a ₦25 billion debt burden.

Osa-Ogbegie dismissed Afegbua’s comments as a “cocktail of ignorance and mischief,” saying they reveal a “disturbing lack of understanding of finance, social investments and modern development economics.”

The opposition party accused the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo of developing a “pathological obsession” with Obaseki, alleging that the government is deliberately targeting and attempting to discredit projects that were successfully executed under the former governor.

The PDP called on Edo residents to reject what it described as “politics of destruction” and instead demand accountability from the current administration based on governance and performance, not propaganda and resentment.

Below is the full statement from the PDP:

The party said it would ordinarily have ignored what it described as Kassim Afegbua’s “ill-informed outburst,” especially as the matter is already before the courts. However, it said it was compelled to respond in order to prevent the spread of what it termed falsehoods, half-truths and deliberate misinformation aimed at misleading the public.

According to the PDP, Afegbua is on a “self-serving mission,” allegedly acting on the instructions of APC power brokers to tarnish the image of Godwin Obaseki by distorting what it described as one of the most disciplined, transparent and forward-looking administrations in Edo State’s history. The party insisted that such actions amount to vendetta, propaganda and disinformation rather than governance.

The statement accused the Okpebholo administration of operating in “blind rage” since assuming office, with a deliberate strategy to dismantle and demonise Obaseki’s legacy projects—not because they failed, but because they succeeded and set standards the current government neither understands nor can replicate.

The PDP listed what it described as a pattern of hostility towards major projects initiated under Obaseki, including the Museum of West African Art, the 95MW Ossiomo Power Project, investments involving Saro Farms and ethanol production in Ikpoba Okha, the Edo Printing Press at the Nigerian Observer premises, and the Presco Plc episode, which it said the government abandoned only after public backlash. It said the Radisson Hotel project is simply the latest target in what it called a sustained campaign of destruction.

According to the party, this pattern reflects a government lacking vision, ideas and a basic understanding of modern governance, resorting instead to tearing down investments it did not initiate and cannot replicate.

The PDP further stated that Afegbua’s comments on the Radisson Hotel project show a poor grasp of public-private partnerships, special purpose vehicles, equity financing and asset-backed loan structures, stressing that these are standard tools of infrastructure development globally, not criminal acts.

It maintained that under Obaseki, Edo State embraced international best practices in fiscal discipline, transparency and investment-led growth, adding that attempts to demonise legitimate project-finance structures only expose the intellectual weakness of the current administration.

Clarifying the Radisson Hotel deal, the PDP said the project was structured as a Public-Private Partnership, with Edo State contributing ₦2 billion as seed equity to de-risk the investment and attract private capital. It added that private investors brought in significant equity, while other funds, including portions of bond proceeds, were structured as loans to the project’s Special Purpose Vehicle, with clear repayment plans tied to future operations.

The party insisted that the investment is already yielding value, claiming the state’s stake has appreciated significantly and is conservatively valued at over ₦65 billion ahead of full operations.

The PDP rejected claims that the hotel was sold cheaply or handed over to cronies, describing such allegations as false, malicious and defamatory. It stressed that Edo State retains equity in the project and that Obaseki had no direct or indirect ownership interest in the hotel.

Describing the government’s characterisation of the financing model as “voodoo financing,” the PDP said the approach represents globally accepted development finance practices used to deliver infrastructure, stimulate tourism, create jobs and grow economies.

The party questioned how intimidating investors, dragging projects before anti-graft agencies and relying on propaganda could possibly improve job creation or youth welfare in the state.

The PDP concluded by vowing not to remain silent while the APC, in its view, undermines investor confidence and attempts to rewrite history through what it called noise and falsehoods. It said Obaseki’s legacy remains evident in rebuilt institutions, delivered infrastructure, restored fiscal discipline and improved credibility for Edo State both nationally and internationally.

The party urged Edo people to see through what it described as a charade and to hold the Okpebholo administration accountable for governance, results and leadership, rather than gossip, resentment and “loud ignorance.”