CurrentReport Blog The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the state government are currently engaged in a war of words over the performance of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) over the last three months under Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration.
The disagreement centers around claims of a significant drop in IGR, with both sides presenting conflicting reports and accusations.
PDP Claims IGR Has Dropped Significantly
During a press conference on Monday, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, the state chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee, alleged that the state’s IGR has drastically declined under Governor Okpebholo’s administration compared to the performance during the previous administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki. According to Aziegbemi, in October 2024, as the Obaseki administration was nearing its end, Edo’s monthly IGR stood at approximately N8 billion. However, under Governor Okpebholo, the state is reportedly struggling to generate barely N3 billion monthly.
Aziegbemi attributed the decline to the actions of non-state actors allegedly employed by the state governor as part of the political machinery during the election. He claimed these individuals have been siphoning state revenues by redirecting payments into private bank accounts instead of the state treasury. The PDP leader further alleged that in February 2025 alone, the state lost a staggering N1.3 billion in revenue due to this practice.
According to Aziegbemi, the poor IGR performance has been exacerbated by the state’s inability to meet financial obligations, particularly the N500 million monthly subvention to Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Edo State’s primary higher education institution. This failure, he argued, signals a broader issue of mismanagement and financial leakage under the Okpebholo administration.
State Government Responds to IGR Allegations
In response to the PDP’s allegations, Fred Itua, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Okpebholo, dismissed the claims of illegal revenue collection, stating that the administration was actively addressing the issue through structural reforms in the transport and revenue sectors. Itua emphasized that the Okpebholo government was committed to eliminating extortion and intimidation of traders, which had previously been tolerated by previous administrations.
“It is important to note that unlike previous administrations, which allowed multiple taxation and illegal toll collection, this government is making deliberate efforts to streamline revenue collection,” Itua said. He revealed that the state government has engaged Atalakpa Recovery Concept Limited as an enforcement compliance consultant to ensure transparency and compliance in the revenue collection process.
The Edo State government also took steps to debunk the claims made by the PDP, particularly the assertion that IGR had drastically fallen. The Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) issued a statement through its Head of Corporate Communications, Courage Eboigbe, denying the allegations made by the PDP.
EIRS Refutes Decline in IGR
The EIRS emphasized that the state’s IGR has remained stable and even experienced an upward trajectory in recent months. In its statement, the EIRS insisted that February 2025’s IGR report was strong, recording over N9.5 billion, which the agency claimed was significantly higher than any figures achieved during the previous administration. The EIRS dismissed claims that the state’s revenue dropped from N4.7 billion in January to N3.4 billion in February, calling the narrative “dubious, deliberately misleading, and dishonest.”
The Revenue Service further clarified that all government revenue, regardless of its source, is consolidated into a single figure, and any suggestion of separate revenue streams was erroneous. Eboigbe assured the public that the EIRS is working diligently to address illegal revenue collection activities by unauthorized individuals and encouraged the public to report any suspicious activities.
Allegations of Non-State Actors Involved in Illegal Revenue Collection
Amid the conflicting claims, Ogbeide Ifaluyi-Isibor, the former Commissioner for Digital Economy, Science, and Technology in the Obaseki administration, weighed in on the ongoing debate. Ifaluyi-Isibor alleged that the February IGR report revealed a sharp decline in the state’s revenue, contrary to the government’s claims. He reiterated allegations that non-state actors, supported by political forces, were collecting levies and redirecting payments to private accounts.
“If the government’s claims were true, why haven’t they released the full report of the February IGR?” Ifaluyi-Isibor questioned. “We saw a report in January of N10 billion in IGR receipts, with N5.3 billion coming from NNPC and its subsidiaries. However, there has been no official report on February’s performance.”
The ongoing disagreement between the Edo State government and the PDP over IGR performance highlights a broader concern regarding financial transparency and accountability in the state. While the PDP accuses the Okpebholo administration of mismanagement and the loss of revenue to non-state actors, the state government and the EIRS maintain that IGR is on an upward trajectory and that efforts to address illegal revenue collection are actively being implemented.
As the situation develops, it remains to be seen whether the state will release further data to clarify the performance of its IGR and whether the allegations of financial leakage can be substantiated. The public’s trust in the state’s revenue management is critical, and it is clear that both sides are determined to shape the narrative surrounding the state’s financial health.
