The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chapter in Edo State issued this press release in response to the Edo State government’s threats to sue Mr. Ogbeide Ifaluyi-Isibor for his critical remarks on social media. The PDP sees this as an effort to stifle free expression, quiet critics, and divert attention from Senator Monday Okpebholo’s bad leadership. The statement highlights that Mr. Ifaluyi-Isibor’s remarks are consistent with the PDP’s evaluation of the government’s performance and represents the party’s position on defending democratic freedoms. People are free to criticise their leaders without worrying about being intimidated. In Edo State, the PDP is still dedicated to upholding democratic principles. Please get in touch with the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee Secretariat for more information.
June 9, 2025
Press Release
Stop intimidation, gagging of opposition voices, focus on governance, PDP tells Okpebholo, Edo govt
…says Ifaluyi-isibor simply amplified voices of PDP, Edo people
The Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State read with utter dismay the publication by the Edo State Government, signed by the Attorney-General, Samson Osagie, threatening legal action against Mr. Ogbeide Ifaluyi-Isibor, a chieftain of our great party over opinions he made via his personal Facebook page critiquing the poor state of governance and leadership in the State under the Senator Monday Okpebholo-led administration.
In the very embarrassing statement which is only another desperate attempt to stifle dissenting voices, suppress opposition, and intimidate concerned citizens who dare to speak truth to power, the Attorney-General threatened to sue Ifaluyi-isibor for criminal defamation, ignoring the critical role of opposition and citizens in holding the government accountable.
We want to remind Osagie and his principal, Okpebholo that they are in government and holding public trust, and as long as that remains the case, every citizen in Edo State, and indeed in Nigeria, reserves the right to freely express their opinion on how well or how poorly their government is performing. They therefore do not have the liberty to threaten anyone simply because they are criticizing the government or holding it accountable.
However, as a party, our position is that there is nothing to suggest that anything Ogbeide Ifaluyi-isibor said is false. Infact, everything he said in his commentary is a factual and accurate assessment of how poorly the Monday Okpebholo-led administration is performing.
It is true that the State Government has been clearly dysfunctional and the Governor is hardly ever around to superintend over the affairs of the State. This is responsible for the retrogression being witnessed across all sectors of the State, from education, to security, economy, healthcare, among others.
The duty of the opposition and indeed the general public is to hold Government to account and that’s exactly what Ogbeide Ifaluyi-isibor has done and his views are the position of the PDP in the State. It is therefore irrational for Osagie and the Edo State Government to threaten him for performing his duty as a citizen by demanding accountability and better governance.
We condemn in totality the desperate attempt by the Monday Okpebholo-led government to silent dissenting voices and stifle opposition in the State, including members and supporters of our great party, deploying all sorts of illegalities and tactics, including threats and intimidation, among others.
We must make it unequivocally clear to the Edo State Government and the Attorney-General that Nigeria and Edo State is a democracy. You cannot govern by intimidation or suppressing criticism. It will not work, not now, not ever.
Ironically, the Attorney General, Barr. Samson Osagie, did not sue Edo State Government or anyone for that matter, for suspending him and announcing to the world that he was involved in “grave financial and administrative infractions”. He should direct his frustration to another avenue!
Instead of wasting its energy and tax payers’ money on silencing opposition, we admonish the Monday Okpebholo-led Government to stand up to its responsibility and deliver Governance to the Edo people for the short time it still has.
Signed:
Dr TonyAziegbemi,
Chairman,
Edo PDP Caretaker Committee
