Barely 18 months into Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration, Edo State is facing growing questions over budgetary discipline, public procurement and the handling of major infrastructure and projects.
It was learnt that from billions of naira in alleged extra-budgetary expenditure to scrutiny over two major flyover contracts awarded to the same Chinese construction firm, opposition parties and civil society groups accused Governor Okpebholo’s administration of struggling with transparency and institutional effectiveness.
They noted that at the centre of the controversy is the government’s handling of major contracts and public funds at a time when some contractors who executed approved projects under the previous administration are reportedly still awaiting payment.
One of the most contentious issues involves the construction of two flyovers in Benin City—the Ramat Park flyover and the Adesuwa Junction flyover.
The Ramat Park flyover was flagged off in November 2024, while the Adesuwa Junction flyover was flagged off in October 2025. Both projects were awarded to CCECC Nigeria Limited, a Chinese construction company.
The Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP) has questioned the procurement process through which the contracts were awarded, alleging that there was no publicly transparent bidding process.
The coalition accused the Okpebholo administration of awarding the contracts in a process it described as “shrouded in secrecy, devoid of financial transparency and accountability.”
The CRPP has demanded answers to basic procurement questions, including which newspapers advertised the tenders, which other companies submitted bids, and what role First Bank played in the projects.
As of June 2026, according to the report, no public answers had been provided to those questions.
The controversy is further heightened by allegations that contractors who completed projects approved under the previous administration have yet to receive payment.
The state government has reportedly said it is “not in a hurry” to pay the contractors, citing the need to verify their claims.
Critics, however, have questioned why contractors from the previous administration are being subjected to verification while the government’s own new projects are being funded and executed amid questions about procurement transparency.
The CRPP has threatened to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the flyover contracts.
Also, it was learnt that the most serious financial controversy confronting the administration is the allegation that N14.15 billion was spent outside legislative approval.
A Premium Times special report published in February 2026, based on Edo State’s own Budget Performance Reports, identified extra-budgetary expenditure under the Okpebholo administration.
One of the most striking examples involved the Edo State Public Building and Maintenance Agency.
According to the report, the agency had an approved allocation of N11.7 billion for administrative building renovations, but expenditure rose to N14.14 billion—an excess of N2.44 billion.
The Ministry of Social Development also reportedly spent N450 million on a children’s correctional centre despite an approved allocation of N68 million.
The concerns are not limited to overspending.
The analysis also identified instances where funds approved for development programmes were left substantially unused.
The government allocated N163.67 million as counterpart funding for Sustainable Development Goals projects, N20 million for a World Bank-assisted programme and N80 million to the Ministry of Business and Trade for employment initiatives.
According to the report, virtually nothing was released for those programmes.
Policy Alert, a civil society organisation focused on fiscal governance, described the situation as “a systemic breakdown in budgetary control, where approvals are treated as flexible suggestions rather than binding legal limits.”
That criticism raises a fundamental question about the administration’s fiscal priorities: how can government departments spend substantially above approved limits on some projects while leaving money intended for development programmes unreleased?
Beyond finances and contracts, critics have raised concerns about the functioning of the state’s bureaucracy.
The Peoples Democratic Party in Edo, while marking the first anniversary of Okpebholo’s administration, had described the government as characterised by “policy paralysis and institutional regression.”
The PDP state chairman, Dr Anthony Aziegbemi, alleged that policymaking had “degenerated into ceremonial photo-ops and church visits” and challenged the administration’s media team to identify five verifiable achievements.
Aziegbemi also described the 2025 budget as a “copy-and-paste document without review or direction.”
More worrying are reports of delays in the approval of official memos across several Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
According to the account, some departments had reportedly not had memos approved in 2026, leaving routine government business in limbo.
The administration’s launch of an e-governance platform in May 2026 to digitise memo processing appears to acknowledge at least some of the difficulties surrounding the existing system.
Officials said the platform was designed to reduce dependence on manual documentation and accelerate approvals.
But critics argue that the need for such an intervention also underscores the extent of the administrative bottleneck within the state government.
The Stella Obasanjo Hospital and Education Hub in Benin City has also emerged as an example cited by critics to illustrate the gap between government announcements and actual delivery.
The project was inherited by the Okpebholo administration, which has repeatedly inspected the facility and made public commitments regarding its completion and commissioning.
However, according to the report, the Education Hub remains without adequate power supply and other basic infrastructure required for full operation.
Critics accuse the administration of using the condition of the facility as a political talking point while making limited measurable progress towards making it functional.
The controversy forms part of a wider criticism of the administration’s approach to inherited projects, investments and development initiatives.
The administration’s handling of the Museum of West African Art has also attracted international attention.
In November 2025, protesters disrupted a private preview of MOWAA attended by European Union and German ambassadors.
A day after the disruption, Governor Okpebholo revoked the museum’s Certificate of Occupancy, citing “overriding public interest.”
The museum was subsequently shut until further notice.
MOWAA, designed by internationally renowned architect David Adjaye and reportedly built at an estimated cost of US$25 million, had been positioned as a major cultural institution with international significance.
The controversy surrounding its closure has raised concerns among cultural commentators about the implications for Edo State’s international reputation and Nigeria’s broader efforts to secure the repatriation of Benin Bronzes.
What was expected to be a major cultural milestone has instead become another source of political and governance controversy.
Taken together, the controversies paint a picture that opponents say is difficult to reconcile with the administration’s attempt to portray itself as a reform-oriented government focused on infrastructure and development.
The alleged N14.15 billion in extra-budgetary expenditure raises questions about legislative oversight and fiscal discipline.
The two flyover contracts awarded to CCECC have triggered demands for greater transparency over procurement.
The reported failure to pay some contractors who completed projects under the previous administration has raised questions about the government’s approach to inherited obligations.
Meanwhile, reports of delays in memo approvals suggest that bureaucratic processes essential to the functioning of government may be struggling.
The situation at the Education Hub and the controversy surrounding MOWAA further add to concerns about project continuity and the administration’s handling of inherited institutions.
For critics, the common thread is alleged governance driven more by public appearances and political messaging than by strong institutions, transparent processes and measurable delivery.