According to Vanguard, President Bola Tinubu welcomed Senator Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the September 21 election in Edo State, to the Presidential Villa. Okpebholo was accompanied by Senator Adams Oshiomhole and the Minister of Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh.
The visit followed a ruling by the Abuja Federal High Court on Thursday, which declared the primary election of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) invalid due to the disenfranchisement of authentic delegates. This decision has left the PDP's candidate, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, in a precarious position.
Senator Oshiomhole and Minister Momoh expressed confidence in the APC’s chances of winning the upcoming election, citing the internal crisis within the PDP as a significant advantage. They also highlighted the disconnect between the PDP candidate and the people of Edo State, in contrast to Okpebholo, whom they described as a grassroots politician.
During the visit, Oshiomhole provided an update on the APC's campaign activities and denied allegations that the APC orchestrated the crisis within the PDP. He emphasized that the issues within the PDP were internal and unrelated to any actions by the APC.
Oshiomhole stated, "I think you should dismiss that because this is PDP versus PDP and you know that by the law, another party cannot go into intra-party conflicts in court. The fact that there had been division in Edo before their primaries and after their primaries is an open secret."
“Those who couldn’t find accommodation, we picked them one by one and don’t forget that those in that Osadebe Avenue were my own creation in the sense that I supported Obaseki to become governor and so I have people who still have affection for me.
He also noted that the PDP's ongoing internal disputes had left its members struggling to resolve their differences, providing the APC with a strategic advantage going into the election.