PDP Slams Gov. Okpebholo’s ‘Edo Air’ Project as a “Wasteful White Elephant”

-By Ruben Mario Brodrick 

​The political landscape in Edo State has been ignited by a sharp divide over Governor Monday Okpebholo’s recent move to establish a state-owned airline, aptly named "Edo Air." This controversy took center stage following the Governor’s high-level engagement in Abuja with the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, where he articulated a vision to transform the state’s aviation ecosystem. 

While the Governor’s administration, through Chief Press Secretary Dr. Patrick Ebojele, defends the initiative as a strategic masterstroke designed to boost connectivity, stimulate trade, and unlock fresh investment opportunities, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hit back with a scathing assessment.

 Led by State Publicity Secretary Dan Osa-Ogbegie, the PDP has dismissed the project as a "textbook example of misplaced priority," arguing that the proposal is a glaring sign of a government disconnected from the harsh realities facing everyday citizens.

​The PDP’s critique centers on the staggering contrast between the Governor’s lofty aerial ambitions and the deteriorating conditions on the ground. The party contends that at a time when Benin City is struggling with collapsing urban planning, impassable roads, and a lack of basic municipal services, sinking billions into a capital-intensive airline is not only unrealistic but "profoundly insensitive."

 They point to the historical failure of sub-national airlines in Nigeria, noting that such ventures require technical expertise and massive subsidies that the state can ill afford. According to the opposition, the capital city has become a "shadow of its former self," appearing bucolic and neglected compared to its peers across the federation.

​Beyond the roads, the PDP highlighted a string of "stalled and decaying" state assets that they believe should take precedence over a new airline. They cited the stagnation of the Radisson Hotel project, the grounding of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), and the precarious state of the Ossiomo power project—an initiative vital for industrial growth.

 Furthermore, the party raised alarms over the decline of EdoGIS, which they claim is losing its efficiency and credibility as a revenue-critical institution. Instead of pursuing what they label as "white elephant projects" like the Edo Air initiative and certain ongoing flyovers, the PDP insists that the government should pivot its focus toward fixing drainage systems, revitalizing overstretched healthcare facilities, and addressing the fragility of state security.

​In a firm closing stance, the Edo PDP called on the administration to immediately jettison the airline plan and redirect scarce public funds into areas with broad-based impact, such as reliable water supply, youth skills acquisition, and the completion of existing strategic projects. They argue that until the "glaring failures" in basic infrastructure and human capital are addressed, any move to launch an airline remains a diversionary tactic that lacks economic sense and development logic. 

As the debate intensifies, the people of Edo State are left to wonder whether the government will stay the course on its aviation dreams or ground the project to focus on the immediate needs of the streets.