The Edo State Government has formally reached out to the Governor-elect, Monday Okpebholo, urging him to get his transition team in order. Because, apparently, when you take over from one government, you need a group of people to sit around and “discuss” how to run the show.
In a letter signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Joseph Eboigbe, dated October 10, 2024, the outgoing administration is all about ensuring that the transition is “seamless” and “smooth.” According to Eboigbe, getting Okpebholo’s transition squad ready is essential for “meaningful discussions” and “vital information sharing.”
This whole exercise feels like a rerun of July 2024 when Governor Godwin Obaseki put together his own 20-member transition committee, chaired, by Joseph Eboigbe. The goal, as always, was to guarantee a smooth exchange of power. It’s almost as if they’ve all forgotten the tense political battles that brought us here, and now everyone’s pretending to play nice for the cameras.
The letter to Okpebholo reads like an overly polite handshake after a bitter fight: “I hope this message finds you in great spirits,” it starts. The letter goes on to invite the incoming governor and his All Progressives Congress (APC) team to “initiate the formation” of their transition team. Of course, the sooner they get that team together, the sooner they can start these “meaningful discussions” we keep hearing about.
The letter suggests October 14, 2024, as the grand day for the inaugural meeting between the two committees.The charm offensive wraps up with an offer of “support and resources” from the outgoing administration to ensure the transition is as “effective and efficient” as possible. We’ll believe it when we see it. Will this transition be a genuine effort at continuity, or are we just looking at more ceremonial niceties while the real battles play out behind closed doors?
