Fresh off his affirmation by the Supreme Court, Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has wasted no time in declaring his next move — a full-scale probe into the eight-year administration of his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki.
Speaking to a sea of supporters, party chieftains, and government officials who joined him on a victory march through the streets of Benin City on Friday, Governor Okpebholo made it clear: the time for politics is over — now it’s time for governance and accountability.
“We’re just eight months in,” the governor told the cheering crowd at the Government House. “But by the time we clock two years, Edo people will know they have a governor.”
He didn’t stop there. With visible resolve, Okpebholo announced that a Commission of Inquiry would soon be established to look into the financial dealings of the Obaseki-led administration, particularly what he described as questionable reliance on external consultants.
“I discovered that EdoGIS paid a consultant N6 billion, and another N2 billion for what they called ordinary software,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “We’ve since ended that contract and trained our own people—our civil servants—who are now doing the job better and at no extra cost.”
He added that despite the transition, he retained many of the same civil servants and Permanent Secretaries from the previous administration, a decision he says was deliberate to preserve institutional memory while cutting waste.
“We have the best brains in Edo,” Okpebholo said. “But Obaseki chose consultants over our own people. That era is over. Edo was tired of transactional leadership. Now, we’ll open the books and anyone who shortchanged the people will be held accountable.”
One particularly sharp comparison drew murmurs from the crowd: “A university was given N47 million under Obaseki,” Okpebholo revealed. “But a consultant was paid N51 million. How does that make sense?”
His words drew wild applause, but the mood outside the Government House wasn’t all celebratory.
Thousands of enthusiastic APC supporters who had marched from the Benin Airport found themselves locked out of the main event. Security personnel at the gate reportedly told the crowd that only high-profile guests would be allowed into the compound for the post-parade refreshments, leaving many feeling sidelined after hours of jubilant walking under the sun.
Despite the setback, party leaders like Dennis Idahosa urged supporters to remain focused. “This is not the end,” he said. “It’s just the beginning of our work for Edo people.”
With a promise to open up the books and “fight back,” Governor Okpebholo has set the tone for a tenure that could be marked by fierce political accountability, internal reform, and a renewed focus on the people’s interest. All eyes will now be on the commission he plans to set up—and the revelations it might uncover.
