Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Edo State governorship election, has called on his rival from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Asue Ighodalo, to withdraw from the electoral contest.
Okpebholo’s reasoning centers around Ighodalo’s tenure as the Economic Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki, claiming that his influence led to the state’s significant financial troubles.
Speaking at a gathering with the Edo State chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Benin City on Tuesday, Okpebholo expressed his dismay over Ighodalo’s candidacy, stating, “It’s disheartening to see someone who was part of a failed administration now seeking to lead us.”
He further elaborated, “If I were Barrister Asue Ighodalo, I would reconsider running for governor. How can you represent a government you have advised and that has failed so notably?”
Drawing from his cultural values in Esanland, he remarked, “We are taught to reject anything that is spoiled or bad.”
Okpebholo also highlighted the alarming financial state of Edo, noting that the current debt stands at over N573 billion, a drastic increase from the N43 billion inherited from previous administrations.
He accused the Obaseki-led government of unprecedented corruption and urged citizens to resist allowing Ighodalo’s campaign to pave the way for what he termed a continuation of fiscal mismanagement.
“Did you know that our debt has skyrocketed to over N573 billion? This is the burden we now carry. In the days of Adams Oshiomhole, the monthly allocations from the Federation Account ranged between N3.1 billion and N3.3 billion, but now we are receiving around N11.1 billion, with no visible results,” he stated.
Okpebholo emphasized that while Obaseki’s government has increased the monthly allocations, the outcomes have been lacking, contrasting it with Oshiomhole’s era, where tangible progress was evident despite lower funding.
