Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, has hit back at Dr Samson Isibor, National Chairman of the Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP), following Isibor's call for Governor Monday Okpebholo to resign over allegations of poor governance. Isibor cited insecurity, rising living costs, and a deteriorating business climate, claiming investors and entrepreneurs have left Edo State. He urged the governor to focus on governance instead of campaigning for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to secure 2.5 million votes in the 2027 elections and preparing for local government polls on July 11, 2026.
Afegbua dismissed Isibor's remarks, describing the CRPP as an "amorphous organisation" and a "jeun-jeun" or "chop-chop" group that has existed for 18 years without real political impact. He accused Isibor of using the platform for personal gain and prolonging his own relevance. In defence of Okpebholo, Afegbua listed ongoing projects including road construction, hospital and school development, recruitment of civil servants and teachers, interest-free loans for market women, bursary awards, and financial interventions at Ambrose Alli University and Edo University, Iyamho.
He added that the government paid arrears for lecturers at Ekiadolor College of Education and provided over 100 Hilux vehicles to security agencies. Isibor, in response, accused Afegbua of avoiding substantive issues, using insults instead of addressing public concerns. He maintained that CRPP supported Okpebholo during the APC primaries, unlike Afegbua and his former boss. Isibor insisted the governor is neglecting governance in favour of political campaigns and reiterated that the people need solutions, not rhetoric.
A political figure calling a critic's organisation "jeun-jeun" while listing road projects as proof of governance reveals how deeply style has overtaken substance in Edo's public discourse. Prince Kassim Afegbua's focus on branding over rebuttal plays into the very narrative Dr Samson Isibor raised — that of distraction over delivery. When infrastructure rollout becomes the sole defence against serious allegations of failing security and economic conditions, governance starts to look more like public relations. For Edo residents, the war of words offers no relief, only a reminder that accountability remains performative.
