Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki disclosed that he has not been invited to the swearing-in ceremony of Governor-elect Monday Okpebholo, scheduled for Tuesday. He revealed this on Friday while inaugurating the caretaker committee for the state’s Peoples Democratic Party chapter in Benin City.
Obaseki accused the All Progressives Congress of arranging the event without consulting him or involving the state government. He stressed, “Someone needs to be sworn in to an existing government. You can’t just come in from the outside and start a new administration. There is already a functioning government, and there are established protocols.”
He added, “The Edo State government is officially inaugurating a new governor on Tuesday, but what you see now are merely posters. The state government is not part of this process.”
Obaseki further aired his concerns, stating, “It’s outrageous for people to act as if laws don’t exist in this country. Sometimes I find myself questioning if we’re okay as a nation. We are supposed to be guided by our constitution, laws, precedents, and procedures.”
Addressing the upcoming ceremony, he noted, “They are proceeding with this event, and I, as the sitting governor, am completely unaware and have not received any invitation. It’s as if they’re initiating an entirely new state and government.”
Obaseki’s comments highlight tensions between the state’s current administration and the incoming one, with disagreements over protocol and legitimacy.
