The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused governor Monday Okpebholo of misleading the public over the ongoing reconstruction of the Benin-Asaba Expressway, insisting that the project was neither initiated by his administration nor linked to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the party’s caretaker committee’s Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, the PDP dismissed claims made by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary crediting the road project to the current APC-led government, describing the remarks as “political propaganda and a distortion of public records.”
Nehikhare explained that the road redevelopment was initiated under former Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration, which signed a ₦228 billion concession agreement in January 2024 with Triple A Infrastructure, InfraCorp, and Africa Plus Partners.
The agreement, he said, was designed under a structured public-private partnership model and formed part of the Federal Government’s Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI).
“The Benin-Asaba Expressway redevelopment is not a conventional contract but a visionary infrastructure renewal project championed by Obaseki to stimulate long-term economic growth,” Nehikhare stated.
He further alleged that the project, although fully conceived and approved under the PDP-led state administration, was stalled by federal authorities until after the upcoming Edo 2024 governorship election.
Describing governor Okpebholo’s recent inspection visits to the site as “mere publicity stunts,” the PDP said such appearances added no substantive value to the project’s execution or financing.
The party urged Edo citizens to remain vigilant and not be swayed by what it called “false claims and political theatrics,” emphasizing that the people are well-informed and cannot be easily misled.