On Friday, President Bola Tinubu met with Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the September Edo State election, and his running mate, Dennis Idahosa, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, as reported by Punch.
The visit underscored the APC's confidence in winning the governorship seat, attributing this optimism to internal conflicts within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the perception that the PDP's candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, is disconnected from the electorate.
The delegation, led by former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the Minister of Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh, discussed their campaign strategy with the President. This meeting came shortly after a Federal High Court in Abuja criticized the PDP’s primary election that selected Ighodalo as their candidate.
Okpebholo chose not to comment after the meeting, referring to it as a private discussion. However, Oshiomhole expressed confidence that the APC would leverage the PDP's internal discord to secure victory. He dismissed claims that the APC had orchestrated the PDP’s primary crisis, emphasizing that the internal issues within the PDP were self-generated.
Oshiomhole highlighted the importance of adhering to party regulations and laws governing primaries. He noted that the APC's visit aimed to update President Tinubu on the campaign's progress and their expanding support base.
Minister Momoh also expressed optimism about the APC's chances, asserting that the party would perform strongly in Edo North and Edo Central. He emphasized that regardless of legal challenges, the APC was confident in their victory on September 21, predicting that incumbent Governor Obaseki would be preparing to leave office.