Politics
Edo PDP rejects claims of Obaseki fleeing, cites UK fellowship, strategic absence
Written By: Emmanuel Ikhenebome
29 Oct 2025 03:12 AM
Benin, Edo — The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has firmly dismissed rumors suggesting that former Governor Godwin Obaseki is on the run, attributing his absence from the state to a fellowship program at a university in the United Kingdom and a deliberate decision to allow the current administration space to govern.
During a press conference held Tuesday at the PDP Edo State Secretariat in Benin City, where the new Publicity Secretary, Dan Osa-Ogbegie, was introduced to the media, former Commissioner for Communication and Orientation under Obaseki, Mr. Chris Osa Nehikhare, addressed the swirling speculations.
Nehikhare, who also serves as the PDP Publicity Secretary post-Obaseki’s tenure, emphasized that the former governor has no reason to flee.
“Obaseki is not on the run from anywhere. He is on a fellowship at a university in the UK,” he clarified.
Nehikhare further explained that Obaseki’s absence is strategic, noting that his presence would make the current administration under Governor Monday Okpebholo “very uncomfortable” due to inevitable comparisons with his eight-year legacy.
He added that Obaseki, unlike his predecessor Adams Oshiomhole, has no plans to contest for the Senate, having served Edo State meritoriously across all 18 local government areas.
The PDP official also dismissed accusations from the Okpebholo administration that Obaseki achieved little during his tenure, labeling such claims as symptoms of an “Obaseki Derailment Syndrome (ODS).” He highlighted Obaseki’s achievements, including the construction of 1,300 kilometers of roads, the establishment of institutions, and infrastructure like the Education Hub at Itakpe, which the current government continues to utilize.
“The same Okpebholo government that claims Obaseki did nothing appointed a new general manager for the Observer Newspapers and directed education officials to move to the Obaseki-built hub,” Nehikhare pointed out.
Nehikhare assured that Obaseki remains accessible, stating, “He is a free man. Whosoever wants him, be it the EFCC or DSS, should write to him.” He urged the Okpebholo administration to focus on governance rather than propaganda, leveraging the security architecture, educational infrastructure, and the globally acclaimed EdoBest program left by Obaseki.
The new Publicity Secretary, Dan Osa-Ogbegie, echoed these sentiments, criticizing the Okpebholo-led administration for prioritizing flyovers over critical inner roads, calling it “renovating the bedroom while the sitting room is in shambles.”
He lamented a “dangerous season of governance by propaganda and incompetence,” accusing the APC of stalling progress in land administration, civil service reforms, urban renewal, and economic growth initiatives spearheaded by Obaseki.
Osa-Ogbegie pledged that the PDP would serve as a constructive opposition, offering objective criticism and holding the government accountable.
"We will not reduce governance to the gutters because of political hatred,” he said, urging Okpebholo to focus on real governance rather than disparaging his predecessor.
During a press conference held Tuesday at the PDP Edo State Secretariat in Benin City, where the new Publicity Secretary, Dan Osa-Ogbegie, was introduced to the media, former Commissioner for Communication and Orientation under Obaseki, Mr. Chris Osa Nehikhare, addressed the swirling speculations.
Nehikhare, who also serves as the PDP Publicity Secretary post-Obaseki’s tenure, emphasized that the former governor has no reason to flee.
“Obaseki is not on the run from anywhere. He is on a fellowship at a university in the UK,” he clarified.
Nehikhare further explained that Obaseki’s absence is strategic, noting that his presence would make the current administration under Governor Monday Okpebholo “very uncomfortable” due to inevitable comparisons with his eight-year legacy.
He added that Obaseki, unlike his predecessor Adams Oshiomhole, has no plans to contest for the Senate, having served Edo State meritoriously across all 18 local government areas.
The PDP official also dismissed accusations from the Okpebholo administration that Obaseki achieved little during his tenure, labeling such claims as symptoms of an “Obaseki Derailment Syndrome (ODS).” He highlighted Obaseki’s achievements, including the construction of 1,300 kilometers of roads, the establishment of institutions, and infrastructure like the Education Hub at Itakpe, which the current government continues to utilize.
“The same Okpebholo government that claims Obaseki did nothing appointed a new general manager for the Observer Newspapers and directed education officials to move to the Obaseki-built hub,” Nehikhare pointed out.
Nehikhare assured that Obaseki remains accessible, stating, “He is a free man. Whosoever wants him, be it the EFCC or DSS, should write to him.” He urged the Okpebholo administration to focus on governance rather than propaganda, leveraging the security architecture, educational infrastructure, and the globally acclaimed EdoBest program left by Obaseki.
The new Publicity Secretary, Dan Osa-Ogbegie, echoed these sentiments, criticizing the Okpebholo-led administration for prioritizing flyovers over critical inner roads, calling it “renovating the bedroom while the sitting room is in shambles.”
He lamented a “dangerous season of governance by propaganda and incompetence,” accusing the APC of stalling progress in land administration, civil service reforms, urban renewal, and economic growth initiatives spearheaded by Obaseki.
Osa-Ogbegie pledged that the PDP would serve as a constructive opposition, offering objective criticism and holding the government accountable.
"We will not reduce governance to the gutters because of political hatred,” he said, urging Okpebholo to focus on real governance rather than disparaging his predecessor.
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