A former lawmaker and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader in Edo State, Segun Saiki, has criticised former governor and current senator, Adams Oshiomhole, for distributing grinding machines, motorbikes, sewing machines, and cash as constituency projects in Edo North.
Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North Senatorial District, had distributed the empowerment items on Saturday in his hometown, Iyamho, as part of his constituency outreach.
Reacting to the gesture, Saiki described it as hypocritical, accusing the senator of engaging in the same practices he once condemned.
“Oshiomhole swallowed what he had vomited by doling out grinding machines, motorbikes, sewing machines, and N100,000 as a constituency project,” Saiki said. “It’s like someone vomiting and swallowing it back. What kind of constituency project is this after two years in the Senate? What can anybody buy with N100,000 in today’s economy?”
He recalled that before his election to the National Assembly, Oshiomhole had openly criticised lawmakers for distributing household and trade tools as empowerment items, arguing that such practices failed to create meaningful economic growth.
However, in defence of the senator, his media aide, Victor Oshioke, said Oshiomhole’s gesture was only a fraction of his broader development efforts, which include classroom blocks and market stores across communities in Edo North.
According to Oshioke, the senator’s empowerment drive aligns with his commitment to provide both immediate relief and sustainable projects that will benefit constituents in the long term.
“What Oshiomhole meant was that a senator should not be judged by sharing items but by enduring legacies and jobs created,” Oshioke explained.
Oshiomhole had, before his Senate election, pledged to “restructure the idea of constituency projects,” rejecting token-based empowerment schemes. At the time, he stated: “I have seen my senator give out grinding machines and motorbikes as empowerment. That is more offensive. How are you empowering a young man in his 20s with a motorbike? You are destroying him. The government must refocus on long-term strategies to empower people.”
The latest controversy has reignited debate over the effectiveness of constituency projects in addressing grassroots poverty, with critics questioning whether such distributions truly empower citizens or merely serve as political optics.
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