The Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has become the political equivalent of a broken-down car, abandoned by its driver after years of reckless driving. It is a shadow of its former self—a factionalized, internally battered, and directionless entity that, instead of seeking redemption, has resorted to aimless wailing against a government that is steadily gaining the trust of the people.
Much like a drowning man flailing in the waters of irrelevance, the PDP is desperately grasping at anything that gives the illusion of political survival. Their latest antics, rather than winning them public sympathy, only reinforce the obvious: Edo PDP is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), gasping for air, and rather than battling for survival, they are wasting their dwindling oxygen on unproductive tantrums.
The PDP is not just a sick party on life support—it is a party suffering from terminal political irrelevance. The faction-ridden, scandal-infested remnants of what was once a ruling party has now been reduced to a collection of desperate voices clinging to lies, propaganda, and outright misinformation in a last-ditch effort to remain in public discourse.
It is ironic that the same party that spent the last eight years squandering the State’s resources and alienating its own members now claims to be the voice of reason. The same party that crushed its foundational members—the Legacy PDP—under the weight of impunity and godfatherism is now pretending to be champions of the people. Their newfound role as self-appointed critics of Governor Monday Okpebholo is not driven by patriotism or concern for Edo’s progress; it is nothing more than the desperate growl of a wounded lion that has lost its territory.
Former Governor Godwin Obaseki and his co-travellers were the architects of PDP’s downfall. They ran the party into the ground with their arrogance, side-lining loyal members, imposing candidates, and rewarding opportunists who saw governance as a personal business empire. Now that they have been rejected at the polls and abandoned by the people, their remaining foot soldiers—men like Ogbeide Faluyi Isibor and Chris Nehikhare—have adopted an attack-dog strategy, barking at every single move of the Okpebholo-led Government.
A glaring example of this political misadventure is Chris Nehikhare, a man whose legacy is tainted with corruption, deceit, and an unquenchable thirst for misleading the public. This is the same man who openly admitted to purchasing a government-owned Prado SUV worth N200 million for a laughable N750,000—daylight robbery that epitomizes the reckless looting culture of the PDP era. And yet, with a straight face, he wants to lecture the good people of Edo on accountability and governance. The irony is staggering.
Take, for example, their fabricated outrage over recent security incidents in Ovia and Okpekpe. While the Okpebholo administration swiftly mobilized security forces and initiated immediate responses to curb the threats, PDP shamelessly tried to spin the situation to cover up their own failures. Under their disastrous leadership, Edo’s security architecture collapsed, leaving citizens at the mercy of criminals. Yet, here they are, pretending to care about security only because it offers them another excuse to criticize.
The difference is clear: PDP ignored insecurity for eight years, while Governor Okpebholo has already taken decisive actions, equipping security agencies and restructuring the Edo Security Network. That is the kind of leadership Edo people recognize and respect—not empty rhetoric from disgruntled PDP loyalists who have lost their political feeding bottle.
The PDP’s obsession with baseless accusations extends to their laughable claim that the Okpebholo administration is “inducing” members of the Edo State House of Assembly with ₦200 million each to defect to the APC. This is not only a falsehood; it is a tragic reflection of PDP’s own corrupt mind-set. In their time, they could only buy loyalty with cash because they lacked any real governance achievements to inspire followership. But today, APC is the new bride in Edo, not because of bribery, but because of the people-centred leadership of Governor Okpebholo.
Take Hon. Sunday Ojiezele Ikpenomen, for example. This was a staunch PDP lawmaker who willingly defected to the APC—not because of money, but because he saw the unprecedented developmental strides of the new administration. PDP should stop assuming that every politician shares their old-fashioned, corruption-ridden mentality. Instead, they should focus on fixing their own internal disaster before pointing fingers at a government that is already delivering results.
But here’s the part that baffles the people of Edo: how does a party that wasted eight years of golden opportunity suddenly find the moral audacity to question a government that is barely a few months old?
Governor Monday Okpebholo is not a man of empty words and flamboyant speeches—he is a leader of action. He does not waste time on grandiose promises; instead, he gets to work on real, practical governance. One of his first major projects—the construction of the Rahmat Park Flyover—was welcomed by Edo residents as a long-overdue development. But, as expected, PDP, in its usual tone-deafness, raised a needless alarm, questioning the necessity of the project. The irony is not lost on anyone: this is the same party that promised industrial hubs and economic rejuvenation, only to leave behind white elephant projects that served no real purpose other than enriching a few consultants.
Perhaps the PDP should take a moment to reflect on its own failures before attacking the new government. What became of all the so-called innovation hubs that Obaseki loudly inaugurated? Where are the jobs he promised Edo youths? What happened to the billions allocated for infrastructure that never materialized? Instead of addressing their abysmal record, PDP’s remnants prefer to sit on the side-lines and scream at a government that is busy fixing their mess.
Their latest tactic—flooding the media space with baseless allegations—only proves one thing: they are still reeling from their disgraceful electoral defeat. Having failed to produce any credible argument at the Edo State Election Petition Tribunal, their last resort is to cry foul at every policy of the Okpebholo administration.
But here’s where they miss the point: Edo people are not fooled. They have seen the difference between rhetoric and practical governance. They are witnessing first-hand the commitment of a government that listens, engages, and acts. While PDP’s new poster boys are busy playing opposition for the sake of opposition, Governor Okpebholo is rolling up his sleeves and delivering results.
Governor Monday Okpebholo is not just leading a government; he is leading a rescue mission to recover Edo from the abyss PDP pushed it into. Under PDP, Edo was seen as a State trapped in the hands of political Pharaohs, suffocating under bad governance. But Edo people have now declared they will never go back to Egypt. They have rejected the PDP’s culture of deceit, corruption, and stagnation.
No amount of lies, misinformation, or media outbursts will change the reality: the PDP is politically dead in Edo State. If Chris Nehikhare and his cohorts are so desperate to stay relevant, they should consider writing fiction novels instead of embarrassing themselves with propaganda that even their own party members do not believe.
Make no mistake, Governor Okpebholo welcomes criticism. He has openly stated that even the newly revitalized Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS) should not hesitate to call him out where necessary. But criticism should be based on facts and logic, not bitterness and political frustration. The PDP’s rants are not about governance; they are about wounded egos and lost political privileges.
Edo people have moved on. The future is in the hands of a leadership that prioritizes practical development over political games. The PDP, if it still hopes to be relevant, should abandon its ICU-induced rants and start doing the hard work of genuine opposition—one that offers constructive alternatives rather than desperate, uncoordinated attacks.
Until then, their cries will remain what they are: the last gasps of a party in political coma, struggling to find its place in a State that has outgrown its failures.
