Edo Governor Okpebholo Defends Appointment of 4,000 Special Assistants

The Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has clarified that the recent appointment of 4,000 Special Assistants is a well-thought-out strategy to strengthen governance at the grassroots level. Okpebholo made this statement during a meeting with APC members from the 18 local government areas of the state at the Government House in Benin City. He emphasized that his administration is committed to taking governance to the people, ensuring that development and opportunities are evenly distributed from the state level down to the wards. Okpebholo expressed gratitude to party members for their unwavering support, stressing that the APC's victory is a collective achievement. He noted that appointing 4,000 Special Assistants is not an issue, as it is a way of rewarding party faithful and taking governance to the grassroots. The governor stated, 'I want to say good morning to everybody and tell you that I love you all. I want to let you know that the party is our party. We don’t have any other party than APC.' Earlier, the APC state chairman, Jarret Tenebe, commended the governor for his efforts to reposition and strengthen the party since assuming office. Tenebe said the APC has become more active and stable under Okpebholo’s administration, with the governor creating opportunities for party members to participate in governance and benefit from the dividends of democracy at the grassroots. The APC chairman attributed the development to the governor’s understanding of both politics and governance, stating that several APC faithful had been considered for appointments as Special Assistants. Tenebe also claimed that the Okpebholo administration made history by stabilising the party to support APC candidates in the local government elections, including councillors and council chairmen, without requiring them to personally finance their campaigns. The APC recorded a total of 2,158,600 votes across Edo State, covering Edo North, Edo Central and Edo South, which Tenebe described as evidence of the party’s growing strength and grassroots presence. The governor has approved the appointment of 25 Special Assistants in each of the 192 wards across the state, with the APC State Working Committee constituting a committee to interface with the various wards and ensure that the stipulated guidelines are followed in the selection process.