The political ground in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State shook in Sunday, as Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) officially flagged off the campaign for the Ovia Federal Constituency by-election in the area.
The event was a show of force, a strategic masterstroke that not only energized the party faithful but also saw a mass defection of key opposition figures, signaling a major shift in the political landscape in the area.
In a move that sent shockwaves through the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a significant number of their former ward chairmen, including Omoruyi Esosa, Osawede Ogbemudia, Lucky E. I Edosonwa, and several others, were officially received into the APC fold by the Governor and the state party chairman, Emperor Jarret Tenebe.
This mass exodus from the PDP was a screaming endorsement of the Governor’s leadership and a clear indication of a political tide turning in the APC’s favour.
Addressing the jubilant crowd, Governor Monday Okpebholo was in his element, his words a blend of promise, performance, and political prediction.
He began by framing the by-election as a critical component of a larger national agenda, reminding everyone of the state’s pledge to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Setting a high bar for the contest, Governor Okpebholo declared, “You know we promised Mr. President 2.5 million votes in Edo State,”
He then presented the APC candidate, Hon. Barr. Omosede Gabriel Igbinedion, not just as a contender, but as an experienced and pre-ordained leader.
He asserted, “You are going to elect an experienced person who was there before. Automatically, she is going there as the right team leader.”
In a bold and confident prediction, the Governor foretold the imminent collapse of the opposition’s campaign. “Let me assure you that in the next few days, those contestants from the other parties will bow to support our candidate.”
The Governor didn’t mince words when contrasting his administration’s performance with that of the past. He challenged the electorate to look at the tangible results of his governance.
He noted, “We said we were not going to force or fight anyone to join us but our performance will speak for us,”
He cited the deplorable condition of Siloko road and other infrastructure left behind by the previous eight-year administration.
He spoke of his recent inspection of roads in Edo North, highlighting their unmotorable state, while pointing to the innovations in education, ongoing road construction, flyovers among other projects as a testament to the APC’s commitment to development in the state.
Flanked by a host of APC stakeholders, including Deputy Governor, RT Hon. Dennis Idahosa; Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, RT Hon. Blessings Agbebaku and former Deputy Governor, Chief Lucky Imasuen, Governor Okpebholo made a final, impassioned plea.
“Give your votes to APC so we can continue the development.”
The defection of the PDP ward chairmen in Ovia North East, a visible symbol of the party’s crumbling structure in the area, served as the exclamation point on a day that saw the APC consolidate its power and launch a campaign with momentum and a clear message of progress.
