Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has revealed that he used his personal funds to purchase an office chair after former Governor Godwin Obaseki left with the official chair bearing Nigeria’s coat of arms.
Okpebholo, who assumed office under the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the disclosure while addressing journalists.
He noted that the absence of an official chair symbolized the challenges of transition, but he was more focused on delivering good governance to the people of Edo State.
Okpebholo was declared the winner of the September 22, 2024, governorship election, securing 291,667 votes to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who polled 247,655 votes.
Speaking on Thursday evening during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, the Edo State governor added that while he would not personally probe his predecessor, “the system” would, and that monies taken would be recovered “when the time comes.”
“I am not the one probing them. The system will probe them. I’m telling you, so much money is tied to a different thing. Those monies will come out when the time comes. I’m not going to hide anything.
“Even when I entered government, I had to use my money to buy my seat. Obaseki took his seat. The chair, yes. It was in the office with the Nigerian Coat of Arms. He took it. Somebody who can take an office chair, tell me what he will not take,” he said.
Okpebholo also said that God was instrumental to his success at the Edo State governorship poll, adding that if he recontested in 20 years, he would still win the election.
“Let me tell you, Edo people spoke. We were hungry for a change. Even in the next 20 years, I will win. When I won my Senate seat, there was a sitting senator. At that time, everything was working against us. There was no water in my place, there was no light, there was no road, there was no money, no fuel. Everything was against us. Compared to the PDP that was favoured. But yet, we won.”, he said.
Asked how he planned to unite the state and bring cohesion between him and the opposition, Okpebholo stated, “Today, if you look at it, I’m proud to say that there’s not much opposition in Edo State.
“Many of them know the truth. And many of them secretly even voted for me while they were still in the PDP because of what they were gaining from Obaseki.”
