Edo 2024: Bigotry, nepotism as Okpebholo’s campaign mantra
By John Mayaki
There is also the matter of ethnic bigotry and nepotism unwittingly infused into Senator Monday Okpebholo’s profile by himself and on the other hand, his handlers.
Unarguably, those pushing the ‘homeboy’ narrative and benchmarking his suitability for office with his competence in his native Esan language are not doing him any favours. The question is: will Esan be adopted as the language for official business and instruction in Edo schools if the aura-less Okpebholo becomes governor?
Here’s it – Esan people constitute only about 13 percent of the Edo State electorate. The impression this narrative conveys to the rest of Edo State citizens is that Esan people would hijack the state’s political and socioeconomic structures if Okpebholo is elected governor.
The candidate without aura even championed nepotism himself by aggravating this apprehension when he declared publicly that if he were the Chairman of a bank, like Dr. Asue Ighodalo, he would flood the bank with his (Esan) people and nothing would happen.
Hear him, “How many Esan is in that (Sterling) bank? As the Chairman of the bank, you own the bank. At the time you are the Chairman, you do anything you want to do. If I am there, I will flood the place with Esan people, and nothing will happen”, said Okpebholo.
Let’s be careful what we wish for especially now that it is clear that Okpebholo is an ethnic bigot and promoter of nepotism. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.
