CRPP, Kassim Afegbua clash over criticism of Okpebholo’s administration

The leadership of the Coalition of Registered Political Parties, CRPP, and the Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, are in a war of words over the former’s continued criticism of the State Governor, Monday Okpebholo.

DAILY POST reports that Afegbua, on June 11, 2026, during a press conference in Benin City, accused the leadership of CRPP of peddling false and unfounded allegations against Governor Okpebholo.

Afegbua was specific on the group’s criticism of the Children’s Day celebration on May 27, 2026, at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, where several students collapsed as a result of a stampede.

The stampede was reported to have occurred when bouncers of a private security outfit, who were at the venue, allegedly fired pepper spray and teargas to diffuse the unruly behaviour of some of the male students against their female counterparts.

The commissioner had said at the press conference that only 17 students were affected by the teargas and not 50, as allegedly stated by the group.

According to him, with reference to the recent tear gas incident at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, during May 27, 2026, Children’s Day celebration, only 17 children were affected and not 50 as alleged.

“All the 17 children affected by the incident were promptly taken to the hospital on the same day, with 15 discharged after receiving treatment, while the remaining two were discharged the following day.

“How could Dr Samson Isibor, National Chairman, CRPP, be peddling such falsehood just to attract attention? The records are there for everyone to verify”, he said.

Reacting, CRPP, said the criticism of the state government’s performance is not to seek favour of any kind but to put the governor on his toes to provide good governance to the people of Edo State.

A statement signed by Dr Samson Isibor, the National Chairman and Nka Waribe, National Secretary of CRPP, accused the commissioner of not taking his job as the image maker of the state government seriously.

“Our attention has been drawn to a press conference held on Wednesday, June 11, 2026, in the office of the Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, at which he reportedly called us unprintable names.

“To us at CRPP, the so-called press conference is no more than a comedy by a jester commissioner, who has never treated his job as the image maker of a government with the seriousness it deserves, but a praise singer who goes about abusing anyone who has a divergent opinion of the government’s performance.

“Rather than joining heads with other members of his Exco to tackle the main issues that affect Edo people, Afegbua has thrown decency and civility to the wind in a manner unbecoming of a civil Commissioner, always abusing and intimidating our leadership, always accusing us of expecting settlement from the state government.

“Let it be known to Afegbua that we are too decent to disappoint the masses and condescend to accepting a settlement from a non-performing government.

“CRPP also condemns Afegbua for speaking from both sides of his mouth. This is a man who, in 2022, attacked former Governor Godwin Obaseki without ceasing just because he was not given an appointment, and no one condemned him then.

“But now that he is an appointee, he no longer sees anything good in criticising the government he serves.

“We would once again remind Afegbua that the more he goes about abusing the leadership of our Coalition or any other opposition just because we criticise Governor Monday Okpebholo, the more he portrays the government negatively.

“We challenge Afegbua to go round the state to sample the opinion of the masses on their assessment of Governor Okpebholo’s performance on security, employment and food production. We are sure that Afegbua will shed tears at the result he will get”, he stated.

The CRPP, however, called for the sack of the commissioner for alleged failure to positively market the government that appointed him as commissioner, rather than portraying it as a government that is intolerant of the opposition.

It urged the commissioner to learn from his predecessor in office, Hon Paul Ohonbamu, whom it described as an intelligent and sound activist who marketed his boss effectively, and was very diplomatic and had good human relations.

CRPP, Kassim Afegbua clash over criticism of Okpebholo’s administration