Tinubu’s Campaign Billboard: ‘You Are In No Position To Lecture Anyone On Constitutional Order’ – Edo Govt Knocks PDP

The Edo State government has lampooned the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over a recent press release by its Publicity Secretary, Chris Osa Nehikhare.

Naija News reports that the Edo State chapter of the PDP had recently made mockery of the Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration as the Presidency officially distanced itself from the early and unlawful 2027 campaign billboards that have appeared in various regions of Nigeria, including those associated with the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in Edo State.

In a statement entitled “Presidency Disclaims 2027 Campaign Billboards Nationwide,” and issued earlier on Sunday, the Federal Government voiced its concern regarding the increasing presence of unauthorized political advertisements and reiterated its dedication to maintaining the rule of law.

The PDP claims that this development represents a significant setback for Senator Okpebholo’s efforts to gain favour with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through irresponsible and illegal political maneuvers.

In a swift response, the APC issued a statement titled “PDP’S BASELESS ATTACK ON GOVERNOR MONDAY OKPEBHOLO—ENOUGH OF THIS POLITICS OF BITTERNESS AND FALSEHOOD.”

The ruling party described PDP’s remark as reckless, misleading, and malicious.

The Edo government stressed that the PDP once again peddled baseless claims and sought to mislead the public on matters it clearly does not understand or deliberately chooses to misrepresent.

“Let it be clearly stated that the statement is a shameful display of the PDP’s consistent obsession with fabricating lies against the person of Governor Monday Okpebholo and the progressive administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State. These repeated outbursts are the product of a party drowning in irrelevance and struggling desperately to remain in public discourse.

“It is hypocritical for the same PDP that has consistently desecrated the rule of law through executive impunity and abuse of office to now quote the Electoral Act in a dishonest attempt to score cheap political points. The Edo PDP is in no moral position to lecture anyone on constitutional order or democratic values. Their tenure in power was defined by deceit, maladministration, and a relentless assault on truth and transparency.

“Let it also be noted that at the appropriate time, the PDP and its officials, including Chris Nehikhare, will be held accountable for the spurious allegations they have repeatedly made against Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State and other public officials,” the statement noted.

The Edo State government further accused the PDP of always turning political discussions into a theatre of lies and bitterness.

It warned that Governor Okpebholo’s administration would not tolerate a campaign of calumny by the opposition camp.

The statement signed and issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Fred Itua, on Monday, 14 April 2025, added: “Enough is enough. These unfounded and unsubstantiated claims have no bearing on the truth, and they constitute a deliberate effort to mislead the public, disrupt governance, and cause disaffection in the State.

“While Governor Monday Okpebholo has, in good faith and in his respect for the rule of law, allowed these provocations to slide, the Government will no longer tolerate this campaign of calumny. If Chris Nehikhare and other PDP leaders do not desist from peddling falsehoods and deliberately seeking to undermine the peace and progress of Edo State, they will be compelled—at the right time and before the appropriate legal authorities—to provide evidence for every wild claim they have made.

“The PDP has turned political discourse into a theatre of lies and bitterness. Their refusal to abide by the rules of engagement in a democratic society is shameful. They have, in several clandestine meetings, resolved to destabilize Edo State through misinformation and character assassination. But the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo will not be distracted. The Governor remains focused on delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Edo State.

“Edo belongs to all of us, and no amount of bitterness or false propaganda will derail the will of the people or slow down the pace of development.”