Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has declared that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is on the verge of collapse in the state, citing a growing wave of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Governor made the remarks while receiving Nicholas Asonsere, the lawmaker representing Ikpoba Okha State Constituency, who officially defected from the PDP to the APC.
With Asonsere’s defection, the APC now holds the majority in the Edo State House of Assembly with 15 out of 24 members, leaving the PDP with nine.
Governor Okpebholo, who welcomed the new entrant alongside other recent defectors, assured them of equal treatment and opportunities within the APC.
“The APC is a party of limitless opportunities,” the Governor said. “When I joined, I had no plans to contest any position. Today, I am Governor of Edo State. The PDP in Edo is collapsing because the APC represents development and progress. I will remain focused on using state resources from IGR and FAAC to improve the lives of our people.”
He also criticized his predecessor, Governor Godwin Obaseki, accusing him of misrepresenting achievements in the education sector. During a recent visit to Army Day Secondary School in Ikpoba-Okha, Okpebholo said he observed severe infrastructural decay, describing it as evidence that “Obaseki cheated Edo people.”
APC State Chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, while presenting Asonsere to the Governor, said the lawmaker joined voluntarily, drawn by the Governor’s visible development projects across the state.
“Your Excellency, your achievements are shaking the very foundation of the opposition in Edo. That is why we are seeing this growing wave of defections,” Tenebe stated.
In his remarks, Asonsere said his decision to join the APC was driven by Governor Okpebholo’s leadership and development agenda.
“I wasn’t pressured. I joined because I believe in the Governor’s vision. From roads to the first flyover in Benin, he’s delivering real progress,” he said.
APC State Secretary, Engr. Lawrence Okah, expressed optimism about further defections, revealing that two more lawmakers are expected to join the ruling party before the end of April.
“With 15 members already, we’re in a comfortable majority. Governor Okpebholo’s leadership is uniting us all to transform Edo State,” Okah said.