Forget friendly skies—Edo State’s political atmosphere is turbulent. A major dogfight has erupted after Governor Monday Okpebholo announced plans to launch a state-owned airline, “Edo Air.”
The governor, meeting with Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, called the project a strategic move to boost connectivity and the economy. But the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has slammed on the brakes with a scathing, full-throated rejection.
The PDP didn’t hold back, labeling the plan an “ill-conceived proposal,” a “textbook example of misplaced priorities,” and proof of a government “profoundly disconnected” from reality.
“Why an airline when the state is falling apart on the ground?” the party asked. In a blistering statement, Publicity Secretary Dan Osa-Ogbegie argued that running an airline is a capital-intensive venture that has been a “historic disaster” for Nigerian states. He questioned where Edo would find the expertise and endless subsidies required.
Instead of flying high, the PDP presented a grim “ground report” of a state in decline:
· Benin City described as an “embarrassing,” bucolic shadow of a modern capital with impassable roads and collapsed drainage.
· Key projects like the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), the Radisson Hotel, and the critical Ossiomo power project are allegedly “grounded,” “stagnant,” or drifting “comatose.”
· The EdoGIS land system is called inefficient and non-impactful.
The opposition accused Gov. Okpebholo of chasing “white elephant” projects for optics—like ongoing flyovers—while ignoring fundamental needs. “Against this bleak backdrop,” Osa-Ogbegie stated, “the sudden announcement… is not merely unserious; it is diversionary and cretinous.”
The PDP’s final demand is clear: Scrap the “airline fantasy.” They insist scarce funds must go to roads, drainage, schools, hospitals, power, security, and completing the failing projects they listed.
This sets the stage for a fierce political battle, with the governor’s visionary project branded by opponents as a tone-deaf flight of fancy.
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