Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has attributed his victory in the 2024 governorship election to his decision to select Dennis Idahosa as his deputy.
Speaking during a meeting with defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Okada, the administrative headquarters of Ovia North-East Local Government Area, Okpebholo described Idahosa as a brother and praised the strength of their partnership.
“I won because I made the right choice in him,” the governor stated.
Okpebholo noted the strong working relationship between himself and Idahosa, adding that the unity within the administration has been beneficial to the state. “We are working well together. I wouldn’t have won the election if I had chosen another person as deputy,” he said.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the development of Edo State, citing their shared local origin as motivation for delivering good governance.
“Why are we working for Edo people? We are working for Edo because we are confirmed sons of the soil. We are not foreigners. We were not borrowed from somewhere else,” he said. “My mother is an Esan woman. My father is an Esan man. I grew up there. My deputy, the same Edo. So, if we are from here, we must work for our people.”
He pointed to the state government’s ongoing developmental projects as proof of a new approach, contrasting it with the previous administration, which he accused of only initiating projects during election periods.
“That is why you see us move from executing one project to another. We do not wait until election period before we roll out projects. We do not believe that we can develop in that manner,” he said.
Governor Okpebholo also expressed optimism about fulfilling his earlier pledge to deliver 2.5 million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. “I can see it coming to reality today,” he said.
He assured residents that the administration’s performance would ultimately earn public approval. “By the time we are three years old as a government, I know people will sit down and thank God. You will thank God for giving us the opportunity to serve,” he said.
On the upcoming by-election in the Ovia Federal Constituency, the governor said he would return soon to campaign and expressed confidence in the party’s candidate. “In the next few days, I will be coming back here for a campaign,” he concluded.
