The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has rebuked the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government for what it described as “illiterate propaganda” surrounding the Radisson Hotel project.
The party also accused the current administration of the state of waging a desperate smear campaign against former governor Godwin Obaseki.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Dan Osa-Ogbegie, the PDP said it was forced to respond to recent claims by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, to prevent the spread of what it called falsehoods and deliberate disinformation.
The party alleged that Afegbua was acting at the behest of APC interests to tarnish Obaseki’s image by distorting facts about projects executed under his administration, describing the move as revenge rather than governance.
According to the PDP, the Okpebholo administration has displayed what it termed a “pathological obsession” with dismantling Obaseki’s inherited projects, not because they failed, but because they succeeded and set benchmarks that the current government supposedly cannot match.
He listed projects such as the West African Art Museum, Ossiomo Energy Project, Saro Farms, ethanol investment in Ikpoba Okha, Edo Printing Press and Presco Plc, and described the Radisson Hotel as the latest target of what he called a policy of destruction.
The PDP described Afegbua’s comments on the Radisson project as ignorant of modern development financing, highlighting that public-private partnerships and special purpose vehicles are globally accepted tools for infrastructure development.
Clarifying the transaction, the party said Edo State’s ₦2 billion contribution was seed capital to de-risk the project, while private investors provided substantial capital, with other funds structured as loans to be repaid with future operations.
He further stated that the state’s investment in the Radisson Hotel had already appreciated significantly, insisting that the project was not sold cheaply or given away to cronies, and that Obaseki had no stake in it.
The PDP warned that demonizing standard financing models and harassing investors would erode trust, and questioned how scaring away investors could create jobs or improve living standards in the state.
The party urged Edo people to reject what it called propaganda and hold the current administration accountable for governance and results, insisting that Obaseki’s legacy of fiscal discipline, infrastructure delivery and restored credibility remains intact.