The Edo state government has rejected what it described as attempts to pin the state’s ranking in the 2026 Phillips Consulting States Performance Index (pSPI) on the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo, saying that the assessment substantially captures conditions inherited from the previous government.
The government said the timing of Okpebholo’s assumption of office must be considered in interpreting the report, arguing that several indicators used in the assessment measure cumulative fiscal, administrative and governance outcomes that cannot be attributed to its administration that assumed office in November 2024.
Blueprint.ng reports that the 2026 pSPI, which assesses states across various governance and development indicators, identified Edo as having the weakest momentum, prompting calls for policy review and accelerated delivery in critical sectors.
But the Edo state government, in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said Okpebholo took office on November 12, 2024, after much of the period assessed in the report had already elapsed.
The government said it welcomed independent assessments, noting that reports such as the pSPI could help promote accountability, transparency and continuous improvement in public administration.
It, however, warned against drawing conclusions beyond what the methodology and assessment period of the report could reasonably support.
“The central issue raised by the Edo state government is not whether governance should be measured, but whether historical outcomes should automatically be attributed to a government that did not formulate or implement the policies that produced those outcomes,” the statement said.