The All Progressives Congress (APC) transition committee in Edo State has accused the outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki administration of hindering a smooth transition process. According to Patrick Ikhariale, Secretary to the APC Transition Committee, the non-presentation of necessary documents by the Edo State government is the main obstacle ¹.
The APC Transition Committee, led by former Deputy Governor Pius Odubu, has requested various documents, including:
- Assets and Liabilities: Details of all Edo state assets located outside the state
- Financial Reports: Federation account allocation committee and Internally Generated Revenue reports from 2020 till date
- Contracts and Debt: Maturing legal obligations, total indebtedness, and approved contracts by the state government
- MDAs and Human Resources: Size, number, and structure of all MDAs, including human resource records
- Annual Financial Audit Reports: Published and unpublished reports
- Public-Private Partnerships: Arrangements and Memoranda of Understanding
- Bank Balances: Across all financial institutions
- Programmes and Partnerships: Managed by non-state actors and development partners ¹
The APC Transition Committee claims that despite assurances from the Government Team, the documents provided so far are scanty and vague. They emphasize that their request for information is in line with international best practices and not intended to constitute a probe panel ¹.
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has previously accused the APC of planning to attack government infrastructure and cause mayhem in the state, taking advantage of the August 1st protest ¹. However, the APC Transition Committee denies these allegations, stating that their focus is on ensuring a seamless transition.
