RismadarVoice Reporters
October 3, 2026
Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has threatened to arrest the contractor handling a section of the Benin-Abraka Road over the alleged abandonment of the project despite payment by the previous administration.
Okpebholo spoke while addressing members of the All Progressives Congress APC) during a tour of Orhionmwon and Uhunmwode Local Government Areas ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Patrick Ebojele, the governor said he had been concerned about the condition of the road but that the contractual arrangements inherited from the previous administration complicated immediate intervention.
The road project was divided into sections and awarded to different contractors before Okpebholo assumed office in November 2024.
One contractor has reportedly completed about three-quarters of its assigned section, while the contractor responsible for another section has been accused by the state government of failing to complete the work.
The state government had earlier approved the revocation and re-award of the contract for the failed section around Ikpe Waterside following complaints from residents over the condition of the road.
Okpebholo alleged that the affected contractor had received payment under the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki but abandoned the project.
“Following the agreement that was signed by Obaseki’s administration, that road construction project was paid for before I became governor. Despite the payment by the previous administration, the contractor still abandoned the road,” the governor said.
Okpebholo said complaints from residents during his visit prompted him to speak publicly about the matter.
“I never wanted to speak on the issue of this Benin-Abraka Road, but what I heard today has prompted me to speak on the issue. I am going to arrest that contractor,” he said.
The governor also alleged that the contractor had a personal relationship with Obaseki. The allegation was made by Okpebholo and was not independently established.
During the tour, Okpebholo also visited Iguomo-Nisi in Uhunmwode Local Government Area, where he met APC members as part of the party’s mobilisation activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
Edo APC Chairman Jarrett Tenebe thanked party members for their support and urged them to continue mobilising for the party.
The APC leadership in Edo has set a target of securing 2.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. The figure remains a campaign target rather than an electoral projection.
