Senator Matthew Urhoghide, the Director General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Organization, recently addressed concerns about the influence of "federal might" on election outcomes, using personal experiences to refute these claims. Speaking to The Sun, Urhoghide shared anecdotes from his political career to emphasize that merit, not political power, determines election success.
Despite the affiliation of former President Buhari with the APC and the presence of an APC governor in his state, Urhoghide highlighted his own victory as a PDP candidate during his Senate candidacy. This success, he noted, was achieved despite the considerable challenge posed by his APC opponents.
Reflecting on his Senate tenure beginning in 2019, Urhoghide recounted how he managed to win against a formidable APC candidate, Hon. Samson Osagie, emphasizing that his triumph was based on merit and not political influence. He pointed out that even with Adams Oshiomhole, an influential APC figure, as governor at the time, the so-called "federal might" did not impede his victory.
Urhoghide stressed the importance of accomplishments and experience in determining election outcomes. He expressed confidence that candidates would win based on their performance and contributions rather than their political affiliations or the power of their connections. Urhoghide concluded by reinforcing his belief that the upcoming elections would be conducted on the basis of merit.
Hear him: "It has always been a recurring thing people talk about. What is the ‘federal might’ going to do with the election? The former President Muhammadu Buhari is an APC man; I went to the Senate as a PDP; the governor in my state was an APC; but the federal might did not stop me from going to the Senate. We are going to do this election on the basis of merit, and we are going to see that our candidates win based on what they have done."