The Tragic Role of Okpebholo in Edo State Gubernatorial Election
By Osagie Imasogie
The question before every lip of Edo State citizen is how deeply has the candidacy of Senator Monday Okpebholo negatively affected the fabric of Edo State compared to the euphoria that greeted all and sundry, especially the youth, of the emergence of Dr Asue Ighodalo as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate?
Forget about the rhetorics of the All Progressive Congress, APC, godfathers like Senator Oshiomole and Pastor Ize-Iyamu mounting podiums spewing biles in the crusade campaigns of vengeance, Okpebholo’s introduction into the Edo State gubernatorial race has terminated all meaningful ventures that characterize any society that wishes to advance from the doldrum of parochialism. His candidacy owes much to the devaluation and denial of dignity by the APC. It is easy to condemn their action of introducing the static Okpebholo where the intellectually mobile individuals like Prof Osunbor, Engr Gideon Ikhine, Dr. Mike Onolomemen and co ran for the same controversial primary. On what basis was Okpebholo selected if the intention is not to insult the collective sensibility of the Edo State citizens?
Of course, to everyone, objections surface to the mind whenever they hear Okpebholo speaks in public. He is without class, taste, manifestation of intellect, experience, candour…he is without nothing, not even leadership characteristics to lead a complex but intellectual state like Edo.
I am sure the introduction by the APC is an indelicate and provocation of the resolve of the Edo State voters that is almost sounding like a declaration of hostilities. How dare you feature such a candidate for a serious business as the gubernatorial election in Edo State!?
This is the tragic role of such candidate, such a symbol of annoyance, of vexation, of political decadence…that the APC has introduced to Edo State unfortunately. It is a misconduct on the part of the APC.
We must all rise to the occasion to repudiate APC at the polls with their candidate come September 21st. It is time for the Edo State people to recognize that there is no cure to this kind of nonsense except at the polls where the people must tell APC to go away with their candidate – the uninspiring Okpebholo.
