APC’s Federal Failures Will Reflect In Edo Governorship Election, Says PDP

By Abioye Benjamin

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) views the upcoming Edo governorship election as a referendum on the All Progressives Congress (APC) government’s performance at the federal level.

PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, believes Edo citizens will express their dissatisfaction with APC’s policies through their votes, favoring PDP’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo.

Ologunagba criticized APC’s candidate, Monday Okpebholo, for refusing to participate in a TV interview, calling it an insult to the public and political discourse. In contrast, Ighodalo has engaged with the public through various platforms, showcasing his respect for the citizens.

Ologunagba who spoke in Arise Tv interview noted that, Okpebholo’s refusal to engage with the public through the media is an insult to both the citizens and the integrity of political discourse. He emphasized that the PDP’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo, has shown far greater respect by consistently engaging with the public across various platforms.

Ologunagba stressed that when a person seeks public office, it is essential to communicate openly with the people. He used Ighodalo as an example of a candidate who has done this well, stating, “Asue Ighodalo is savvy, competent, intelligent, a lawyer, and a consultant.

He has been doing an excellent job engaging with the people through media, town hall meetings, and campaigns, both within Nigeria and among the diaspora.”

He continued by saying that the APC candidate, Okpebholo, should not be deciding how and when to address the public. Instead, he should be using every available medium to engage voters if he genuinely has something to offer them.

“Contrast that to the APC candidate. He has refused to engage with the media, which is an insult to politics. The key issue here is that the Edo election will be a referendum on the APC’s failures both at the federal level and in the states where they govern,” Ologunagba remarked.

He further pointed out that the upcoming election is not just about politics but about the character and value political leaders place on Nigerian citizens, particularly the women of Edo State. Ologunagba expressed confidence in the PDP’s candidate, saying, “PDP is confident because we have a candidate who is accessible, who is connecting with the people, and that’s what should matter.”

Ologunagba went on to question why the APC candidate was avoiding public media engagements, asking, “Is TV not a medium of communication? Why is he picking and choosing how to communicate with the people? Asue Ighodalo has been engaging through all channels. It’s essential that we start holding candidates accountable for how they engage in these public conversations.”

He concluded by criticizing the approach of the APC candidate, arguing that it is not the responsibility of a candidate to set the rules for public engagement. Instead, independent media platforms should dictate how these engagements happen.

He added that Okpebholo’s reluctance to face the public shows a lack of respect for the political process, saying, “It’s embarrassing that we have someone like this as a candidate, talking about insecurity and causing further concern in Edo State.”