The Edo PDP Action Group has raised alarm over worsening insecurity and economic hardship since Governor Monday Okpebholo took office.
In a statement issued after an emergency meeting in Abuja, the group alleged that Edo State is experiencing its worst economic and security crisis in history. They claim that over 40 citizens and residents have been killed in 2025 alone, with several others kidnapped.
They cited the recent abduction of a young mother of two, Uyi Ebohon, in Ekpoma, whose whereabouts remain unknown, just days after three young men were brutally murdered by suspected herders in their communities.
- The group contrasted this situation with the previous administration under Godwin Obaseki, which they said implemented a sophisticated security network that helped curb criminal activities. They alleged that under Okpebholo’s leadership, the state’s security architecture has collapsed, leading to businesses shutting down before 7 p.m. out of fear, a decline in internally generated revenue from ₦7 billion in October 2024 to ₦3.5 billion in February 2025, and a GDP drop from $25 billion to $17.6 billion.
They also pointed out that the number of registered taxpayers has fallen from 373,000 in July 2024 to fewer than 320,000, attributing the decline to a loss of business confidence and growing tax evasion.
The PDP warned that Edo is slipping into an economic crisis, with investors leaving, small businesses closing, and unemployment rising by 7% to 17% in just a few months.
