Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has announced plans to decentralise electricity distribution in the state to address persistent power shortages. Speaking at the 52nd Annual Convention of the Uromi Community Association of Nigeria (UCAN) held at Uromi City Hall in Esan North-East Local Government Area, Okpebholo blamed the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) for unreliable power supply that has disrupted businesses. He revealed that his administration has initiated a 100MW electricity project in Benin City and plans a similar 100MW project in Edo Central Senatorial District. "The inauguration of 100MW of power in Edo Central will enable us to decentralise the power sector and ensure our people in Afemai and Edo Central enjoy electricity," he said. Okpebholo credited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting his administration's achievements over the past year. He also urged the people of Uromi to help secure 2.5 million votes for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, stating that the president should only visit Edo for project commissionings, not campaigns. He criticised the previous administration of Godwin Obaseki for commissioning incomplete projects, citing the ongoing costs of completing the Stella Obasanjo Hospital. The Ojuoromi of Uromi, HRH Anselm Edenojie II, appealed to the governor to resume work on the abandoned Ahojie Township Stadium, stressing its potential to boost youth engagement and local development.
Governor Okpebholo's push for 100MW projects in Benin City and Edo Central suggests a direct response to BEDC's failure, not just an expansion of supply. Promising 2.5 million votes for President Tinubu in 2027 frames development projects as political investments rather than neutral public goods. If infrastructure delivery is tied to electoral returns, Edo residents may begin to see project announcements through the lens of campaign strategy. This blurs the line between governance and political mobilisation.
