Jubilant supporters of Governor Monday Okpebholo, were on Friday stunned following a reported order to prevent them from processing into the Edo state Government House with the governor.

The supporters which included market women and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had gathered at the Benin Airport around 7am, to give the governor a rousing welcome.

The gathering followed Okpebholo’s triumph in the 2024 governorship election legal dispute at the Supreme Court in the nation’s capital, Abuja.

Okpebholo whose aircraft touched down the Benin Airport at about 12.40pm was welcome by the supporters amid jubilation.

The supporters, many of whom were not mobile, proceeded on foot in a road procession with governor Okpebholo’s motorcades- chanting solidarity songs.

The procession, which lasted for about an hour, terminated at the Edo State Government House were the supporters were informed by security operatives that only Very Important Personalities (VIPs) would be allowed into the Government House for refreshments.

The bewildered supporters took turns to lament the development, with many raining insults on the authories.

“One of the supporters who identified herself as Mrs. Ebosele Omogiate said: “in the worst moments of ex-governor Godwin Obaseki, supporters and members were not shabbily treated like this.

“They have won now and have decided to build a wall around themselves,” she added.

“I left my house before 7am for the airport and stood under the sun for hours before the arrival of the governor.

“We engaged on a road show with the him to the government house, only for us to be shut out. This treatment melted on us is unfair,” another supporter added.

Meanwhile, governor Okpebholo has said his administration will set up a Commission of Inquiry to look into former governor Godwin Obaseki’s records.

Okpebholo who spoke at the Government House in Benin City, noted that the Obaseki-led administration used consultants to run the affairs of the State during which he looted the treasury dry.

He alleged that Obaseki hired and paid a consultant in Edo Geographic Information Service (EdoGIS) N6 billion in addition to another N2 billion for software.

The governor noted that his administration has developed its own software and sent the said consultant packing.

He added, “I will open the books to check the financial dealings and how Obaseki governed Edo State in the last eight years.

“A university in this State received N47 million under Obaseki’s administration, while he paid consultant N51 million.

“This was not good enough. They wanted to continue with this act, but God helped us to push them out.”

“Edo was tired of transactional people and thieves, but now we will look into their records.

“I will take two years out of eight years, and Edo people will see the difference. We will set up a Commission of Inquiry to look into the books and dealings of the previous administration.”