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Piqued by what he described as constant criticism of his government, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has invited two Arise Television anchors, Oseni Rufai and Reuben Abati, to inspect projects across the state.
DAILY POST reports that Governor Okpebholo extended the invitation to the two media personalities during the defection of some members of the Africa Democratic Congress (ADC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday in Benin City.
He said the inspection of projects by the duo would afford them the opportunity to assess the performance of his administration over the past year.
“I want to use this opportunity to invite Oseni Rufai and Reuben Abati of Arise Television. I will also personally write them a letter. By the time they spend two days in Edo State, you will vote for ‘Asiwaju’, you and your wives.
“I will drive them myself and take them from one project to another. Two days and even one week will not be enough to take them around the projects, but I will only take them to a few project locations, whether they will then start campaigning for President Bola Tinubu or not,” he said.
He stated that all that is going on in Edo State is practical governance, and the people can see development, noting that every kobo spent in the state is sourced from the Federal Government.
He, however, urged President Tinubu not to worry about campaigning in the state, adding that he should only come to Edo State to commission projects, as the state is settled and firmly behind the APC.
He opined that Edo’s development strides are directly linked to federal support, stating that the administration’s achievements will speak louder than campaign rhetoric.
Okpebholo noted that with 31 governors currently under the APC platform nationwide, the ruling party remains on a strong footing, adding that more political alignments are expected ahead of 2027.
While reaffirming his administration’s loyalty to the APC and the presidency, he added that Edo State is politically secure for the ruling party, driven by unity within its ranks and sustained developmental efforts under his leadership.
Earlier, Senator Adams Oshiomhole described the recent defections of Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and Abba Atiku Abubakar, son of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, to the APC as a testament to President Bola Tinubu’s sterling performance.
Oshiomhole posited that if the children of the former president and vice president under the PDP platform decided to leave their fathers to join another party, it showed that the opposition party is no longer relevant in the country.
The former governor of Edo State advised those still in opposition to join the APC before the door is closed to defectors.
He, however, attributed the defection of state, local government, and ward leaders of the opposition parties to the APC to the quality leadership provided by Governor Monday Okpebholo and the state party chairman, Jarret Tenabe.
Edo: Gov Okpebholo invites Arise TV anchors, Rufai, Abati for projects inspection
