Inside Edo
PDP slams Okpebholo over Presco land revocation 'Comedy,' demands inquiry amid political firestorm
Written By: Emmanuel Ikhenebome
28 Nov 2025 05:44 PM
Benin, Edo – In a scathing open letter to Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Prince Kassim Afegbua, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor Monday Okpebholo of either incompetence, dishonesty, or unfitness for office following a chaotic attempt to revoke vast tracts of land from Presco Plc, Nigeria's leading agro-industrial firm.
The controversy erupted on November 21, 2025, when the Edo Geographic Information Service (EDOGIS) issued a formal notice revoking Presco's Statutory Right of Occupancy over 13,545 hectares of land in Ologbo, near Benin City – a move personally signed by Governor Okpebholo himself.
The land, critical to Presco's palm oil operations and one of the company's key assets listed on the Nigerian Exchange, triggered immediate backlash from investors, business leaders, and opposition figures, who decried it as a reckless assault on economic stability.
Just six days later, on November 27, the state government issued a dramatic disclaimer, denying any revocation had occurred and pinning blame on the now-sacked EDOGIS Managing Director, Osamuyi Ikpasaja.
The administration clarified that only portions of the land overlapping with federally controlled oil assets were under "technical review," insisting Presco's core rights remained intact.
Ikpasaja was relieved of his duties the same day, with the government vowing no broader land grab was afoot.
PDP Publicity Secretary Dan Osa-Ogbegie, Esq., fired back in a condensed version of the party's November 27 press release, framing the episode as a "political comedy" unfit for governance.
"Act 1: Governor signs the revocation. Act 2: EDOGIS publishes it as instructed. Act 3: Edo erupts; investors panic; Nigeria watches in disbelief. Act 4: Governor fires EDOGIS MD, denies responsibility, and pretends amnesia," Osa-Ogbegie wrote, labeling the administration "a government at war with its own pen."
Addressing Afegbua directly who had earlier dismissed PDP's outrage as "unnecessary agitation" and accused the opposition of "crying more than Presco", Osa-Ogbegie questioned the governor's signature's authenticity
"Was Okpebholo’s signature forged or does he genuinely not understand what he signs?" he asked, outlining three damning scenarios; signing without reading, denying it after reading, or signing under duress.
"Any of these is a disaster for Edo," he added.
The PDP positioned the scandal within a broader pattern of "impulsive revocations, petty vendettas, and policy summersaults," hinting it may stem from efforts to target political opponents linked to the land.
Osa-Ogbegie lambasted the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government for turning "governance into a circus," urging Edo residents to reject four more years of such chaos.
In response to the initial PDP salvo, Afegbua defended the administration in a telephone interview, calling the party's claims "baseless" and emphasizing the review was limited to federal overlaps, not a full revocation.
The commissioner accused PDP of exploiting the issue for political gain, vowing transparency in land matters.
The PDP has issued four key demands: a full inquiry with forensic signature verification; immediate reinstatement of Presco's rights; land administration reforms to curb politicization; and a personal explanation from the governor.
"Edo people hide their heads in shame today, but it is Okpebholo and the APC enablers of this chaos who should bury their faces," Osa-Ogbegie concluded, offering to "simplify" further if needed.
Presco Plc, in a statement late Thursday, confirmed its land rights were secure and dismissed the revocation report as erroneous, calming jittery investors but underscoring the damage to Edo's reputation as an investment hub.
Analysts warn the fiasco could deter foreign direct investment in Nigeria's agriculture sector, already strained by regulatory uncertainties.
As the dust settles, the exchange highlights deepening rifts between PDP and the APC in Edo, a battleground state ahead of future polls.
Governor Okpebholo's office has yet to respond directly to Osa-Ogbegie's latest missive, but sources indicate an inquiry into past land dealings under the previous Godwin Obaseki administration may be forthcoming.
The controversy erupted on November 21, 2025, when the Edo Geographic Information Service (EDOGIS) issued a formal notice revoking Presco's Statutory Right of Occupancy over 13,545 hectares of land in Ologbo, near Benin City – a move personally signed by Governor Okpebholo himself.
The land, critical to Presco's palm oil operations and one of the company's key assets listed on the Nigerian Exchange, triggered immediate backlash from investors, business leaders, and opposition figures, who decried it as a reckless assault on economic stability.
Just six days later, on November 27, the state government issued a dramatic disclaimer, denying any revocation had occurred and pinning blame on the now-sacked EDOGIS Managing Director, Osamuyi Ikpasaja.
The administration clarified that only portions of the land overlapping with federally controlled oil assets were under "technical review," insisting Presco's core rights remained intact.
Ikpasaja was relieved of his duties the same day, with the government vowing no broader land grab was afoot.
PDP Publicity Secretary Dan Osa-Ogbegie, Esq., fired back in a condensed version of the party's November 27 press release, framing the episode as a "political comedy" unfit for governance.
"Act 1: Governor signs the revocation. Act 2: EDOGIS publishes it as instructed. Act 3: Edo erupts; investors panic; Nigeria watches in disbelief. Act 4: Governor fires EDOGIS MD, denies responsibility, and pretends amnesia," Osa-Ogbegie wrote, labeling the administration "a government at war with its own pen."
Addressing Afegbua directly who had earlier dismissed PDP's outrage as "unnecessary agitation" and accused the opposition of "crying more than Presco", Osa-Ogbegie questioned the governor's signature's authenticity
"Was Okpebholo’s signature forged or does he genuinely not understand what he signs?" he asked, outlining three damning scenarios; signing without reading, denying it after reading, or signing under duress.
"Any of these is a disaster for Edo," he added.
The PDP positioned the scandal within a broader pattern of "impulsive revocations, petty vendettas, and policy summersaults," hinting it may stem from efforts to target political opponents linked to the land.
Osa-Ogbegie lambasted the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government for turning "governance into a circus," urging Edo residents to reject four more years of such chaos.
In response to the initial PDP salvo, Afegbua defended the administration in a telephone interview, calling the party's claims "baseless" and emphasizing the review was limited to federal overlaps, not a full revocation.
The commissioner accused PDP of exploiting the issue for political gain, vowing transparency in land matters.
The PDP has issued four key demands: a full inquiry with forensic signature verification; immediate reinstatement of Presco's rights; land administration reforms to curb politicization; and a personal explanation from the governor.
"Edo people hide their heads in shame today, but it is Okpebholo and the APC enablers of this chaos who should bury their faces," Osa-Ogbegie concluded, offering to "simplify" further if needed.
Presco Plc, in a statement late Thursday, confirmed its land rights were secure and dismissed the revocation report as erroneous, calming jittery investors but underscoring the damage to Edo's reputation as an investment hub.
Analysts warn the fiasco could deter foreign direct investment in Nigeria's agriculture sector, already strained by regulatory uncertainties.
As the dust settles, the exchange highlights deepening rifts between PDP and the APC in Edo, a battleground state ahead of future polls.
Governor Okpebholo's office has yet to respond directly to Osa-Ogbegie's latest missive, but sources indicate an inquiry into past land dealings under the previous Godwin Obaseki administration may be forthcoming.
Comments