Edo 2024: When A Candidate Depends On ‘Expos’ At Campaign Rallies
By George Etakibuebu
Since Tuesday, August 13, when the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State began its campaign in the senatorial zones, two noticeable developments have become so glaring.
First, the APC apparatchik in the state has magnimously unmuted its candidate, Monday Okpebholo, albeit, in a very little way. What we have seen and noticed in this regard is certainly insignificant and nothing substantial yet. It is still a far cry from what is expected of a governorship candidate in terms of granting media interviews, addressing the people, attending town hall meetings and generally interacting with the people. So, it is still very far from the irreducible minimum requirement for a sitting senator and a governorship candidate of one of the three major parties in the election. But like our people would say, “how-for-do?”, meaning in the absence of anything, the two or three minutes at the most, now allowed him by the APC leadership in Edo State to talk, is still largely more than enough to expose his inadequacies, incompetence and lack of capacity for the office of Governor which he is seeking to occupy.
The second, and of course more disconcerting is the fact that the two or three minutes now graciously allowed him by the party leadership are totally devoted to the use of “expos”.
An adult and a sitting senator, though known more for his inability to articulate and express his thoughts coherently, being teleguided on what to say, publicly at rallies. Nothing could be more disgusting and shameful. APC !!!
A critical look at the videos coming out of the campaign grounds shows that Okpebholo is being taught and receiving instructions and prompts from external assistance. Sometimes, the people who are very close to him on the podium deliver the messages. It is no wonder he picks his words at the speed of a snail. There’s this particular video where a former governor of the state could be seen unabashedly whispering what to say to him in an attempt to make him sound credible and convincing which unfortunately he is not and will never be.
In the words of former Rivers State Governor and current minister for FCT, Nyesom Wike, “if it didn’t dey, it didn’t dey.” In other words, no man can give what he doesn’t have.
This method of campaigning by “expo” adopted by the APC strategists has, however, backfired spectacularly.
Many observers are now complaining aloud having noticed the unusually long pauses, apparently when he’s listening to the instructions and considering the next line.
But notwithstanding this “expo” method adopted to shore up Okpebholo’s badly flagging public address image, he remains a very poor, dour, bland and uninspiring candidate when it comes to communication. Indeed plus or minus “expos” Okpebholo has continued to struggle with articulating his thoughts clearly at campaign rallies, repeating words or sentences many times.
His speeches have remained disjointed, and gaffe filled, further fuelling the view that he is unfit to be governor of the state and calls that he should drop out of the race have continued to mount.
A man who relies on “expos” at campaign rallies is certainly not the type that can lead the state into bilateral talks at national and international levels. He should step down and stop wasting Edo peoples time and energy.
…Etakibuebu, a public affairs analyst, wrote in from Benin City.
