With less than 48 hours before the transition to the new government in Edo State, tensions flared between the outgoing governor’s camp and the incoming APC-led administration over inauguration issues.
Governor Godwin Obaseki claimed over the weekend that he had not been invited to the inauguration ceremony for the new government he is set to hand over to.
Obaseki also alleged that the APC borrowed funds to cover inauguration expenses, estimating the event would cost the party between N2 billion and N5 billion.
The APC, however, dismissed his claim of not being invited as both “laughable” and “self-indicting.”
The governor-elect, Monday Okpebholo, also accused Obaseki of frustrating a peaceful transition of power ahead of his swearing-in on Tuesday.
There have been accusations and counter-accusations between the two camps since the September 21 election won by Okpebholo.
The Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, promised to challenge the result in the law court.
As the November 12 handing over to the new government nears, the transition committees continued to create tension in the state.
A statement on Sunday by the APC transition committee member, Kassim Afegbua, said Obaseki and his co-travelers were doing everything possible to frustrate the inauguration of the incoming governor.
The statement read, “Suddenly, Godwin Obaseki realizes the ephemerality of power and now resorts to lamentations about an ongoing inauguration without extending an invitation to him. We found this to be generously laughable and self-indicting.
“In another clime, an outgoing governor or president organizes the inauguration of the incoming, but for the painful loss of the PDP at the election, Governor Obaseki and his co-
travelers are doing everything possible to frustrate the inauguration of the incoming governor.
“Rather than sit down to plan the inauguration event as it is done in other climes, Governor Obaseki is busy planting landmines on the path to smooth transfer of power.
“From the transition committee to the inauguration committee, despite all the cooperation we have extended to them, what we have received in return is frustration and a deliberate plot to overburden the new administration with all manner of misplaced government decisions.
“We totally frown on these dubious plots which are clear negations of the standard procedures of power transfer the world over.”
It added “Our inauguration team met with the Secretary to the State Government, who later handed our team over to another permanent secretary. The said the permanent secretary had nothing on her table.
“She asked that our team should present an inauguration budget, and we declined because we wouldn’t want them to accuse us of spending bogus funds for the inauguration.”
He added, “When we reported to the governor-elect, he opted out of such an arrangement and took over the responsibility of funding the inauguration from his own personal resources.
“He has also cut down on the activities to make the entire ceremony a bit moderate.
“He doesn’t believe in an ostentatious display of resources when a lot of Edo people have been impoverished by Governor Obaseki. He’s of the view that the inauguration shouldn’t be an elaborate event.
“We have not borrowed a kobo from anywhere. We are not Governor Obaseki and his profligate self. We are conscious of our responsibilities to make life better for the average Edo person. Why should we borrow money because of the inauguration?
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