The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused Governor Monday Okpebholo of planning to squander the sum of N2.8 billion to bribe opposition lawmakers in the State House of Assembly to defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

According to report the allegation was contained in a statement signed by Chris Nehikhare, Publicity Secretary,
Edo PDP Caretaker Committee.

DAILY POST also reports that there are 13 PDP and one Labour Party lawmakers in the 24-member House.

Nehikhare alleged that Okpebholo planned to spend a huge amount to bribe lawmakers to defect to the APC in the midst of insecurity, incessant killings and kidnapping of farmers and other residents in the state.

The statement dated March 6, 2025 was titled, ‘Edo PDP condemns Okpebholo’s N200M bribery ploy to buy defection of each assembly member. A reckless misappropriation of state resources’.

He said, “The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is aware of the ploy by Senator Monday Okpebholo to splash N200 million each to induce members of the Edo State House of Assembly elected on the PDP platform to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“We condemn in the strongest terms Senator Okpebholo’s desperate plans to squander the resources of the people of Edo State on political horse-trading for his own survival, while critical sectors of the state remain in dire need of government intervention.

“In the last few weeks alone, at least 34 innocent Edo citizens have allegedly been brutally murdered across various communities in the State as a result of rising insecurity. While properties worth millions of naira have been destroyed on the back of the ongoing security crisis.

“Small and large-scale farmers are being displaced daily, more communities are being sacked by rampaging kidnappers and herders, while others, including the city centre is being overrun by non-state actors, leaving residents in fear and economic activities disrupted.

“The state is currently grappling with severe infrastructure decay due to neglect. The health sector is in shambles, with hospitals and clinics lacking essential medical supplies, including the Edo Specialist Hospital, where even the most basic consumables are unavailable. More youths now look up to thugs as role models because the government has failed to provide meaningful opportunities for their engagement.

“Unfortunately, amidst all these challenges, Okpebholo’s only concern is his political survival, as he schemes, along with his many political godfathers, to squander billions of naira that should be used to improve the lives of Edo people, on inducing Assembly members to defect to the APC.

“This is executive rascality at its peak and we dare say that this brazen act of corruption and reckless misplacement of priorities is shameful and unacceptable.

“We are not however surprised by Okpebholo’s alleged insatiable appetite for power at the expense of development and security of the State, having come to the office unprepared through the backdoor,” he alleged.

He, however, called on all well-meaning Edo people, civil society groups, and anti-corruption agencies to rise against the alleged abuse of power and reckless misappropriation of state resources.

He restated that as a party, they are undaunted by the alleged evil machinations of the governor and QPC in the state.

According to report the party had on March 3, 2025 accused Okpebholo of allegedly withdrawing N750 million monthly as a security vote even as the state has become a safe haven for kidnappers and other criminal gangs.

The party alleged that the criminal gangs operate with impunity, taking advantage of the deteriorating security situation, while residents and business owners continue to live in constant fear.

Reacting to the allegations, Paul Ohonbamu, the Edo State Commissioner for Information and Communication, opined that if the opposition legislators abandoned their political party it would not be because of any pecuniary consideration as alleged by the PDP spokesman,
but because they are fed up staying with strange bed fellows.

Ohonbamu in a statement dated March 7, 2025 and titled, “Nehikhare’s Defection Story: A lie by the Dead PDP in Edo State’, noted that the lamentation of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state would not help the political party to survive the mass exodus of members to the All Progressive Congress, APC.

He alleged that there are strong indications that PDP would soon cease to exist in the state and that no matter the campaign of calumny and attack against the Okpebholo administration would save the party.

The statement read, “It is not surprising to know that PDP members in the State House of Assembly are going to cross over to the All Progressives Congress, APC .

“Chris Nehikhare lamented in a statement titled, Edo PDP condemns Okpebholo’s N200M bribery ploy to buy defection of each Assembly member, reckless misappropriation of state resources

“For the information of Edo People, The Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo will not give any money to induce members of the Edo State House of Assembly elected on the PDP platform to defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

“Interestingly, if PDP members in the State House of Assembly decide to defect, it is nothing but survivalist strategy, because Godwin Obaseki destroyed the Party with his bad and wicked policies which apparently led to the defeat of their Governorship Candidate Asue Ighodalo at the polls.

“The fact remains that any discerning and credible politician in the state now knows where the pendulum is swinging to and like they say, failure is an orphan.

“Therefore, it is not strange if members of the House of Assembly want to be on the winning team, because of the good works of the governor which have become the magic wand.”

The Lagos State Special Offences Court, on Wednesday, dismissed an application filed by former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the  $4.5bn and N2.8bn fraud charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Justice Rahman Oshodi, in his ruling, held that the court had the jurisdiction to try Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile.

The judge, however, struck out four of the 26 counts filed by the EFCC against the defendants for lack of jurisdiction.

Justice Oshodi explained: “Allocation of foreign exchange without reason is not defined as an offence under any written law. The objection to counts one to four succeeds and is hereby struck out.

“The objection challenging the court’s territorial jurisdiction over counts eight to 26 fails and is hereby dismissed.

“The prosecution has established sufficient territorial nexus in this case.”

The judge subsequently adjourned the case for trial continuation on February 24, 2025.

The EFCC had arraigned Emefiele on 26 charges, bordering on abuse of office and illegal allocation of $4.5bn and N2.8bn.

At the last adjourned date on December 12, 2024, Emefiele’s counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo (SAN), argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case in Lagos.

Ojo contended that the alleged offences, including abuse of office, fell outside the territorial reach of the Lagos Special Offences Court.

He also argued that the charges violated Section 36(12) of the Nigerian constitution, asserting that the alleged offences were not legally recognised under Nigerian law.

Furthermore, Ojo emphasised that since the Lagos State House of Assembly does not have legislative authority over matters on the Exclusive Legislative List, Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State (2011), under which counts one to four were filed, cannot apply extraterritorially to the alleged abuse of office by Emefiele.

Ojo added that a court’s territorial jurisdiction is limited to the geographical area within which its authority can be exercised and urged the court to strike out counts one to four of the amended charges filed by the EFCC on April 4, 2024.

In response, EFCC counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), argued that the court had the authority to hear the case.

Oyedepo contended that the alleged crimes were economic and financial in nature, falling within the EFCC’s jurisdiction.

He also maintained that substantial evidence supported Lagos as the appropriate venue for the trial.

According to Oyedepo, the subject matter of the charges clearly fell within the court’s jurisdiction since the offences were committed within its territorial reach.

He noted that evidence and witness testimonies pointed to Lagos as the proper location for the trial and argued that the objections raised by Emefiele’s legal team lacked factual or evidential support.

Following the arguments, Justice Oshodi initially adjourned the case to January 7, 2025, for a ruling on the application challenging the court’s jurisdiction.

However, the ruling was not ready on that date, prompting an adjournment to Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

The case has now been adjourned to February 24 and 26, 2025, for the continuation of trial.