The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has supported its state chairman’s assertion that poverty levels in the region have intensified under the current administration. Jarret Tenebe, the APC chairman, recently claimed that many residents in rural Edo State are so impoverished that they cannot afford Android phones, data, or DSTV subscriptions. His comments were made during a Thursday interview with Arise TV.
In response to the controversy surrounding Tenebe’s remarks, the APC’s Director of Publicity, Orobosa Omo-Ojo, issued a statement on Friday affirming that Tenebe’s statement accurately reflects the harsh economic conditions faced by Edo residents. Omo-Ojo criticized the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Godwin Obaseki, attributing the increasing poverty levels to the PDP’s administration, which Tenebe described as a “PowerPoint administration.”
Omo-Ojo denounced any external critiques or data that do not align with the real experiences of the people in Edo State. He emphasized the importance of firsthand accounts over “plagiarized figures” from outside observers. To ensure an accurate representation of the situation, the APC has invited independent journalists to accompany their campaign efforts and gather genuine data from the 192 wards across Edo State.
The APC’s statement also called for media outlets to report on the environmental issues in the state, particularly focusing on the ecological damage in the Evbueghae Community, which they claim has worsened under Governor Obaseki’s leadership.