The Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, has alleged that the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, is responsible for the prolonged electricity blackout affecting the state.
Okpebholo made the claim while addressing residents during a protest over the persistent power outage. He stated that the Edo State Government has limited capacity to address the electricity challenges, noting that it has minimal control over the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).
According to the governor, although Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, and Delta states hold shares in BEDC, their stakes are insignificant and do not grant them operational control.
“It’s not government-owned property. Even though Edo State, Ondo, Ekiti, and Delta, we have a stake, but it’s just very small; the percentage is very small. So we do not have control over BEDC,” Okpebholo said.
He further claimed that Fidelity Bank holds a significant stake in BEDC.
“Fidelity Bank owns a half ledger share of BEDC; they have a better stake in BEDC. Now, I don’t want to ask who owns Fidelity Bank or who are the owners of Fidelity Bank. I leave that to you to answer.
“Tomorrow, they will tell you I don’t have anything,” he added, in what appeared to be a reference to Obi’s public stance on modesty and lack of material interests.
Peter Obi previously served as Chairman of Fidelity Bank and is widely regarded as having played a key role in its growth. However, in 2025, Obi publicly stated that he does not own Fidelity Bank.
While some critics have alleged that he maintains significant interests in the bank, particularly over claims that state funds were deposited there during his tenure as governor, Obi has maintained that the bank has over 500,000 shareholders and denied ownership.
