By joshua 
APC Applaud Suspension of Osagie, Lawani By Gov. Okpebholo
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State has defended Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo’s decision to suspend the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Samson Osagie, and the Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Damian Lawani, over allegations of financial infractions.
The party insists that the move demonstrates the governor’s commitment to accountability and transparency; qualities it claims were absent in the previous administration under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In a statement released by its State Publicity Secretary, Prince Peter Uwadiae Igbinigie , the APC stated that Okpebholo’s decision to suspend the officials aligns with global best practices.
Aljazirah Nigeria recalls that, the governor has last week suspended the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Samson Osagie, and the Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Damian Lawani, over allegations of financial infractions.
The APC emphasized that Governor Okpebholo has demonstrated a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, unlike his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki, under whom, it claimed, no official was ever suspended for corruption-related offenses.
“But here we have a Governor who insists that transparency, accountability, and justice must be the hallmark of his administration.”
The Party acknowledged that the allegations against Osagie and Lawani remain unproven but argued that their suspension is necessary to ensure an impartial investigation.
The PDP has asserted that the suspensions confirm financial mismanagement under Okpebholo,which the APC dismissed the claim as baseless.
The Party also refuted allegations that the State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) had plummeted from N8 billion to N2 billion under Okpebholo’s leadership.
According to the party, Under Governor Obaseki, Edo State’s IGR stood at N8 billion before the election but dropped to N6 billion during the election period due to various factors.
“However, since the appointment of Bankole Balogun as Chairman of the State Internal Revenue Board, the IGR has risen to N10 billion as declared for January 2025,” the APC explained.
The Party also responded to PDP’s concerns regarding the suspension of local government chairmen, asserting that Governor Okpebholo has no direct involvement in these actions.
It clarified that the suspensions were actions taken by the legislative arms of the respective local government councils, in line with constitutional provisions.
“No local government in Edo State has been run outside the law, and none have been denied funding, contrary to the false claims by the PDP.”
It urged the PDP to refrain from spreading misinformation and to allow due process to take its course in the suspensions .