By Peter.
The Edo State Government sparked a political firestorm on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, with a public notice revoking Presco Plc’s Statutory Right of Occupancy over a parcel of land in Ologbo, Ikpoba-Okha LGA—only to disavow it within 24 hours, blaming a “unilateral” act by the former EDOGIS Managing Director. The flip-flop has ignited a fierce war of words between the ruling APC and opposition PDP, with both sides accusing the other of incompetence and ulterior motives.
The Revocation and Rapid Reversal
The initial advertorial, signed by Governor Monday Okpebholo and titled “Revocation of Statutory Rights of Occupancy Pursuant to Sections 28 and 38”, announced the forfeiture of Presco’s land rights. The agro-industrial giant, Edo’s largest employer with decades of operations, was caught off-guard.
By Thursday, November 27, a second notice—signed by Secretary to the State Government Umar Ikhilor and headlined “Disclaimer on Public Notice Purportedly Revoking Statutory Rights of Occupancy of Presco Plc”—declared the first publication “did not emanate from the Executive Governor… nor any authorised organ.” Ikhilor pinned it on the ex-EDOGIS MD (still Okpebholo’s appointee at the time), who allegedly acted “without authorisation” and ignored procedures for excising hectares from Presco’s holdings.
PDP Slams “Shameful Circus”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) pounced, with State Publicity Secretary Dan Osa-Ogbegie labeling it “shameful” and a “dangerous circus.”
“Edo people are witnessing a government that does not know what it signs, it does not understand what it announces, and cannot defend what it authorises. This is not governance.”
Osa-Ogbegie highlighted Presco as a “34-year pillar” employing thousands, demanding “honest answers” instead of “contradictory drama” that “exposes the hollowness of this administration.”
APC Fires Back: “PDP Cries More Than the Bereaved”
Information and Strategy Commissioner Kassim Afegbua dismissed the PDP as “comedians” seeking “vainglory,” insisting Ikhilor’s explanation—citing constitutional land provisions in oil/mineral areas—was “self-explanatory.”
“There were initial mix-up… but the PDP will never disappoint in their vainglory. We have since concluded that each time we needed to unwind, we turn the page to the embattled factional People’s Democratic Party.”
Afegbua quipped PDP “cries more than the bereaved,” urging focus on “rational minds.”
Broader Implications
The episode underscores early tensions in Okpebholo’s administration (inaugurated November 12, 2024), with PDP alleging sabotage and APC decrying opposition mischief. Presco, a key economic driver, awaits clarity on its land status amid fears of investor flight.
Edo’s political theater intensifies—will this “circus” escalate to court, or fade into Budget 2026 noise?
#EdoLandRevocation #OkpebholoPresco #PDPVsAPC #EdoPolitics2025
