During a meeting with the Edo State chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria in Benin, Monday Okpebholo, the APC candidate in the Edo State September 21 governorship election, advised Asue Ighodalo, the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, to withdraw from the race. He cited Ighodalo’s alleged failure as the Economic Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki as a reason for this recommendation.
Expressing his thoughts, Okpebholo emphasized, “I told myself that if I was Asue Ighodalo, I would not bother contesting the governorship election because a government that I am an economic adviser to has failed. Where I come from, which is Esanland, we were taught morals, and anything that is bad or spoilt we don’t eat.”
Highlighting the concerning state of affairs, the APC governorship candidate lamented the current debt profile of the state, which has escalated to over N573 billion from the inherited N43 billion. He critiqued the lack of visible development despite a significant increase in the monthly allocation from the federation account.
Okpebholo outlined his vision for governance, promising to bring positive change if elected into power. He stressed the importance of farmers in addressing food insecurity and urged them to support his candidacy. Additionally, he called on voters to use their Permanent Voters Card to hold the PDP and its candidate accountable on election day.
Okpebholo also shared plans to commission a block of classrooms at a primary school in Ewohimi, the birthplace of the PDP governorship candidate, where the infrastructure had been neglected, with the roof blown off and students lacking proper seating.