Benin, Edo – In a bold move escalating the ongoing feud over Edo State's financial dealings, a social media user and apparent supporter of former Governor Godwin Obaseki has issued a public challenge to backers of current Governor Monday Okpebholo.

The individual, identified as Eguando Tone Jeff (@teguando1 on X), posted a thread on X (formerly Twitter) offering a ₦500,000 reward for verifiable evidence of an additional ₦25 billion bond allegedly taken by the Obaseki administration specifically for the Radisson Blu Hotel project.

The challenge, posted early Friday morning, questions claims surrounding the hotel's funding.

According to Jeff, "I challenge any supporter of Governor Monday Okpebholo to provide verifiable evidence that, aside from the ₦25 billion bond collected by the Godwin Obaseki administration in 2020 for infrastructural development, the Edo State Government also collected an additional ₦25 billion bond specifically for the Radisson Blu Hotel project."

He added that credible, documented proof submitted within 24 hours would earn the reward.

The thread tagged key figures, including Okpebholo's official media handle (@OkpebholoMedia), Haruna Braimoh (@HarunaBraimoh1), and the governor's X account (@m_akpakomiza).

This development comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Radisson Blu Hotel project, a luxury development in Benin City initiated under Obaseki's tenure (2016-2024).

The Okpebholo administration, which took office in November 2024, has accused its predecessor of mismanaging funds related to the hotel, claiming the state raised a ₦25 billion facility from the stock market to kickstart the project before involving private investors.

According to Edo's Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, this has left the state servicing a monthly debt of ₦385 million via an Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) deducted from internally generated revenue.

Afegbua further alleged that Obaseki's public statement of only ₦2 billion in state investment was misleading, as it referred solely to the initial purchase of the building from Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin.

The Edo State government under Okpebholo has initiated a review of the hotel deal and directed the State House of Assembly to probe two major projects from the Obaseki era, including the hotel and the Benin Enterprise Park.

Governor Okpebholo, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has also broader accusations against Obaseki, claiming his administration inherited a staggering ₦600 billion debt burden upon taking office.

Obaseki, who governed under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) banner, has vehemently denied these figures, urging Okpebholo to verify with the Debt Management Office and labeling the claims as a diversion tactic.

In defense, the Edo PDP has dismissed the ₦25 billion debt narrative as "a cocktail of ignorance and mischief," insisting the hotel was a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) where the state's ₦2 billion was seed equity to attract private capital.

PDP Publicity Secretary Dan Osa-Ogbegie argued that additional funds, including bond proceeds, were structured as loans to a Special Purpose Vehicle with repayment tied to future operations, not outright state debt.

He accused the current administration of engaging in "politics of destruction" against Obaseki's legacy projects, warning that such actions could chase away investors.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, valued conservatively at over ₦65 billion even before full operations, was intended to boost tourism and economic growth in Edo State.

However, the project has become a flashpoint in the post-election rivalry between the APC and PDP, with Obaseki's camp maintaining that the state's equity stake ensures long-term benefits.

As of this report, no responses to Jeff's challenge have been publicly noted, though political analysts suggest this could intensify calls for transparency, potentially leading to further investigations by bodies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as hinted in related discussions.