Former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has dismissed the N96 billion local government fraud allegation leveled against him and some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders by his successor, Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking through his media adviser, Crusoe Osagie, on Sunday evening, Obaseki described the accusation as a desperate attempt to justify Okpebholo?s unconstitutional actions against elected local government officials.

Osagie said: ?We have read with disdain a statement by Monday Okpebholo alleging that the elected 18 local government council chairmen in Edo State mismanaged N96 billion in another of Okpebholo?s frantic efforts to justify his unconstitutional onslaught on the elected leadership of the third tier of government.

?What is most shocking about the statement is that Okpebholo appears to be completely oblivious of the fact that he does not have supervisory responsibility over the local governments, and can therefore not set up any investigation of government officials that are elected into office, just like him.

?The 18 local government council chairmen in Edo State have a better claim to their democratic office than Okpebholo, whose election stands on a knife edge, with the election petitions tribunal preparing to deliver judgment in the September 21, 2024 governorship election, widely believed to have been rigged.

?Also advertising Okpebholo?s ignorance is his attempt, as usual, to drag His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, into his propaganda.?

The media adviser also asked Okpebholo to kindly note that Obaseki was never obsessed with control of local government funds during his eight-year tenure, as the current Edo governor had shown himself to be, in the last three months. (The Nation)

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