Okpebholo Defends 4,000 Special Assistants, Says Appointments Strengthen Edo’s Grassroots Governance. The development places renewed attention on the role of political aides in Nigeria’s state governments, where governors frequently appoint Special Assistants and Senior Special Assistants to support communication, mobilisation, community engagement and other areas of governance. Previous administrations have also faced scrutiny over political appointments. Separately, Edo State has used appointments and recruitment as part of its broader governance agenda. For the Okpebholo administration, the stated rationale behind the Special Assistants is therefore centred on grassroots presence and political organisation.