Ahead of the July 11, 2026 local government election in Edo State, the Senator representing Edo Central Senatorial District, Senator Joseph Ikpea, has warned would-be elected chairmen against mismanagement of financial resources of the local government areas to avoid incurring the wrath of anti-graft agencies.
This is even as he charged them to explore the full autonomy they now enjoy to bring development to the people.
Ikpea sounded the warning at the campaign flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for for the election in Edo Central Senatorial District.
He said: “Once you are elected and resume office, you should be prudent. That is really the major thing, be prudent. Once you are prudent and ensure that what comes is not made for you for your pocket, it is for you to develop your local government then you will be fine because by time you feel it is your money and you do the wrong thing. EFCC is there to invite them.
“You have autonomy now but you do not have immunity like the executive governor.
“Know that as a council chairman you can be invited by EFCC anytime even while in the office. So my advice for you is that you should be very prudent.”
Ikpea who commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for doing so much for the people of the state, urged the would-be local government chairmen to replicate what the state government is doing in the various local government areas.
On his activities in the senate, Senator Ikpea assured that he would ensure that all the inputs of the governor before he was elected to represent Edo Central would be implemented in addition to the ones he was already initiating.
He added that as the Senate Committee Chairman on Drugs and Narcotics, he would continue to embark on campaigns against drugs and substance abuse and also create empowerment programmes and jobs for the youths in the Senatorial District to complement the state government efforts.
Ikpea said Governor Okpebholo had done enough to ensure victory for the APC in the local government election and urged the members of the party to use those developmental strides to campaign to the people to vote for APC councilors and chairmanship candidates in the five local government areas that make up Edo Central Senatorial Districts and other parts of the state.
