The ongoing crisis in the Joint Transition Committee established by the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) intensified on Thursday as accusations between the APC committee and the state government escalated. The APC committee, led by former deputy governor Dr. Pius Odubu, expressed dissatisfaction over the adequacy of documents provided by the state government, which they claim are insufficient for a smooth transition.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Secretary of the APC Transition Committee, Rt. Hon. Patrick Ikhariale, accused the state government of failing to fulfill its obligation to supply comprehensive documentation necessary for the transition process. He stated that the documents received were “too scanty to cover the scope of work,” hindering the committee’s efforts.
The state government, represented by Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, countered by alleging that the APC committee was acting inquisitively by demanding documents that should only be provided directly to the incoming governor. Nehikhare claimed that while the government had offered documentation in digital format, the APC committee insisted on hard copies, which the government subsequently provided. He assured that the government would continue to meet with the APC committee until October 30 to address their requirements within the transition mandate.
Ikhariale rebutted these claims, asserting that the outgoing administration has not delivered the necessary documents for a seamless transition. He criticized the government’s efforts to undermine the APC committee by making “outlandish claims,” including accusations that the APC committee was requesting sitting allowances and that their demand for hard copies stemmed from a lack of technological proficiency. He described these allegations as “vexatious, underwhelming, insulting, barbaric, and completely misleading.”
According to Ikhariale, the APC committee initially agreed that both soft and hard copies of the necessary documents would be submitted, and a formal request was subsequently issued. However, he stated that the two sets of documents received thus far remain “scanty and vague” regarding the expected details covering the requested information.
The APC Transition Committee outlined that it had requested a total of 23 documents covering various aspects, including assets and liabilities, state assets located outside Edo, and detailed reports from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from 2020 to the present. Ikhariale emphasized that the incoming government, the citizens of Edo State, and taxpayers have a right to understand the status of government affairs, insisting that the committee was not acting as a probe panel but adhering to international best practices in governance.
He condemned the government’s attempts to discredit the APC Transition Committee, stating that the committee is composed of professionals of high repute under Dr. Odubu’s leadership, dedicated to ensuring a transparent and accountable transition process.