Senator Matthew Urhoghide, the director general of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Organization, addressed concerns over the impact of "federal might" on election outcomes and refuted them with personal anecdotes.
Although former President Buhari is affiliated with the APC and his state had an APC governor, he said that he was victorious during his Senate candidacy as a PDP member.
The Sun reported that Urhoghide recalled his time in the Senate beginning in 2019 and how, despite facing a formidable APC opponent, he managed to win.
He emphasized the value of merit in elections and expressed optimism that their candidates would win on the basis of their accomplishments and experience rather than their connections to certain political parties or their level of influence.
In his words, "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."
"When I finished my tenure in 2019, I was asking for renewal; the governor then was Adams Oshiomhole."
"APC put up a formidable candidate in the person of Hon. Samson Osagie against me, and they lost and I won."
"The eight years I was in the Senate, Buhari was there. 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."