We are concerned that despite several appeals that the ongoing campaign be focused on issues, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, the leaders and now the candidate, Senator Monday Okpebolo, have made the peddling of lies and propaganda their primary focus.

The latest such happened on Thursday, May 16 wherein Okpebholo was seen in a video clip making wild allegations against the state Government and Dr Asue Ighodalo, the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the same election on account of a flooded portion of an unspecified road in GRA.

However, contrary to Senator Okpebholo’s claim that his V8 SUVs could not drive through the flooded spot, an AUDI 80 saloon car drove through it very easily with the driver smiling into the camera.

We consider all these half-truths, outright lies, misinformation, disinformation and propaganda unhealthy for the polity and all designed to deceive the good people of Edo State. This is unacceptable and we call on APC and their supporters to apply caution. Mercifully, Edo people are wiser, smarter and more discerning than the APC and Okpebholo can ever think or imagine.

We assert that, yes, Ighodalo has promised to “continue with the good policies of all previous administrations in the state, review those that deserved to be reviewed and do away with those that are not relevant or no longer meet the needs and aspirations of the people.” If Okpebholo and Edo APC have a problem with that simple statement of intention, we are sorry, we cannot help them.

On his part, Ighodalo is ready to continue with Edo BEST, civil service reforms, land use administration reforms, optimization of security, regular salaries payment to government workers, regular payment of pensions and gratuities and many more that have put smiles on the faces of Edo people. And, Edo people have heard the message loud and clear and aligned with him.

Ighodalo is determined to move Edo State from where it is now to a “First world sub-national government,” a state where all Edo sons and daughters would be proud to call home and return to invest, live and holiday without any fears whatsoever. Ighodalo will not be deterred by APC and Okpebholo’s smear campaign of calumny and orchestrated regime of lies and propaganda. A fruitful tree will inevitably have stones thrown at it.

Ighodalo’s eyes remain fixed on the larger picture – make Edo a first world sub-national in Nigeria. He has all the competences, the capacity, the character, the compassion and the connection to make it happen.

TEAM ASUE MEDIA ORGANISATION (TAMO).

BENIN CITY.
17/05/24