DIPLOMAN TIMES

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has threatened to arrest the contractor handling one section of the Benin-Abraka Road, alleging that the company abandoned the project despite having received payment under an agreement entered into by the previous administration. The governor raised the issue during his ongoing engagement with All Progressives Congress members in Orhionmwon and Uhunmwode Local Government Areas, where complaints about the road condition prompted him to publicly address the status of the project. The dispute places renewed attention on the condition of a major road corridor, the obligations created by existing contractual arrangements and the state government's stated intention to address prolonged hardship experienced by motorists.

According to the Edo State government publication, Governor Okpebholo said his administration had been constrained in directly intervening on the affected section because of contractual agreements entered into before he assumed office. He explained that the Benin-Abraka Road project had been awarded to two contractors, with each responsible for a separate section. While one contractor was said to be actively working and had reached approximately 75 per cent completion on its portion, the governor said the second contractor had abandoned the section assigned to it. The distinction between the two contractors formed an important part of the governor's account, as the state government's concern was not presented as a general failure of the entire project but as a problem associated with one outstanding contractual segment.

The governor said the previous administration had already paid for the road construction before he became governor, but alleged that the contractor responsible for the affected section nevertheless stopped work. He linked the abandonment to the continuing hardship faced by motorists using the road and said he had previously refrained from publicly discussing the matter. His remarks indicate that the administration is examining the road within the constraints created by existing contractual commitments while seeking a way to respond to the condition experienced by road users. The governor's statement also places responsibility for the stalled section directly on the contractor identified by his administration, rather than on the contractor that was reported to have continued work on its own section.

The issue emerged during the governor's wider political tour of Orhionmwon and Uhunmwode Local Government Areas, an engagement that also involved meetings with APC members and mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections. The road complaint therefore surfaced within a broader programme of political and community engagement. Governor Okpebholo said what he heard during the visit had compelled him to speak about a matter he had previously avoided discussing publicly. His declaration that he was going to arrest the contractor represents a stated intention by the governor, rather than evidence in the source that an arrest had already occurred or that a completed enforcement action had been carried out.

The Edo APC leadership accompanying the governor also used the tour to commend party members for their turnout and to discuss the political outlook ahead of the next general elections. Edo APC Chairman Jarrett Tenebe thanked voters for their previous support and urged party members to continue supporting the governor and APC candidates. He also referenced the party's stated target of delivering 2.5 million votes in Edo for President Bola Tinubu in the January 2027 elections. These political activities formed the wider context of the governor's road-related remarks, but the central governance issue remains the status of the Benin-Abraka Road contract and the administration's response to the reported abandonment.

As of October 7, 2026, the Edo State government publication records Governor Okpebholo's position that one contractor has progressed substantially on its assigned portion while another contractor has allegedly abandoned its section after receiving payment under the previous administration. The governor has publicly threatened arrest over the alleged abandonment, while the source does not establish that such an arrest has yet taken place. The immediate issue for the road corridor is therefore the resolution of the outstanding contractual and construction problem identified by the state government, alongside the administration's stated concern about the hardship experienced by motorists.