By Omoregie Ogbebor
In an appearance that can only be politely described as laughable, the APC’s candidate, Monday Okpebholo, finally emerged from months of avoiding public scrutiny to meet virtually with the Akoko Edo Forum via Zoom. What followed was a spectacular disaster that left his team scrambling to limit the damage, abruptly cutting the session short under the pretext of another meeting.
For instance, at the very start, he is asked an agenda-setting question:
Q. “What are the three major, cardinal things you will hold on to when selling yourself to the people of Akoko Edo? Over to you, sir.”
His 60sec answer:
A: “Well thank you, thank you Akoko Edo is a local government in Edo State that have a lot of mineral resources in the local government, throughout the local government.
It’s a place I admire so well.
“Akoko Edo is also very close to our community, Esan. If you want to come to Akoko Edo from my place, you have to go through Iruekpen.
It’s a place that whenever I get to Akoko Edo, I see a lot of potential. There are so many things in Akoko Edo that can drive the economy of Edo State.”
At this point, he trailed off, and after a 10-second yawning silence, the moderator asked incredulously, “Is that all?”
Things just go downhill from there as he rambles through his incoherent answers, even becoming quite combative towards members of the forum, saying:
“It’s not my duty to go to Akoko Edo people’s house and start asking them whether you want something. It’s when somebody comes to me to ask for a favour, then I will do it.”
Okpebholo’s performance was nothing short of a train wreck. His faltering delivery and glaring ignorance were on full display, exposing his utter unpreparedness for the role of governor. As he stumbled through his responses, it became painfully clear that Okpebholo lacked even the most basic understanding of Edo State’s issues. The embarrassment was palpable, and they had no choice but to end the session, hoping to avoid more gaffes hastily.
This fiasco is a glaring reminder of the APC’s incompetence and audacity in presenting such a vacuous candidate to the people of Edo State. Okpebholo’s ineptitude is not an isolated incident but a reflection of the APC’s failing to provide effective leadership. For months, the APC has been trying to hide Okpebholo from public view and keep him from speaking, and now we understand why. His disastrous performance has made it abundantly clear that he is entirely out of his depth.
The call must be loud and clear that Edo State deserves better than this embarrassing spectacle. The stakes are too high to entrust the future of our state to someone as unqualified and clueless as Monday Okpebholo. The APC’s attempt to impose this mediocrity upon us is an insult to the intelligence of Edo voters. We need a competent, knowledgeable leader, and genuinely committed to the welfare of our people.
Enter Dr. Asue Ighodalo, the towering contrast to the APC’s train wreck in the making. Ighodalo is everything Okpebholo is not: articulate, well-prepared, and deeply knowledgeable about the issues that matter most to Edo State. His vision for economic revitalization, infrastructure development, and improved public services starkly contrasts the empty rhetoric and blunders of the APC’s candidate.
Ighodalo’s proven track record in law, economics, and corporate governance makes him uniquely qualified to lead Edo State into a brighter future. His commitment to transparency, integrity, and inclusive governance is exactly what our state needs. Unlike the APC, which has repeatedly shown that it cannot be trusted with the reins of power, the PDP, under Ighodalo’s leadership, promises a sustained era of progress and prosperity.
The choice before well-intended Edo voters is clear. We can either continue down the path of incompetence and failure with the APC and their embarrassing candidate, or we can vote for real growth and progress with Dr. Asue Ighodalo. Edo State cannot afford to fall into the APC’s hands with their national record of mismanagement and empty promises. It’s time to reject the APC’s vacuous candidate and embrace a leader who truly understands the needs and aspirations of our people.
Edo voters, the power is in your hands. Vote wisely. Vote for competence, vision, and integrity. Vote for Dr. Asue Ighodalo, and let’s build a better future for Edo State together.