…Only candidates can speak better about and for themselves, says PDP
There is pressure on the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, to utilise organised forums like town halls, debates with other candidates, or the electronic media to engage with Edo people and share his agenda for the state.
This comes amid murmurs in many quarters that since his emergence as the APC governorship candidate in February 2024, Senator Okpebholo has tactically shunned every opportunity for public engagement, sparking fears that he may after all not have any good plans for Edo State.
Last week Friday, Okpebholo was conspicuously absent during a debate organised by the Unuedo Renaissance, one of the most important social-cultural Edo diaspora groups, where the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, squared up against the Labour Party candidate, Olumide Akpata.
The pressure intensified early this week after Arise TV anchor, Rufai Oseni, tweeted an invitation to Senator Okpebholo to appear for an interview on Arise TV.
“I will love to interview the APC candidate in the Edo gubernatorial elections, if he’s ready he should come on Arisetv. Those that must lead must be ready to answer the questions. Dear Monday, we want you on Monday,” Oseni tweeted via his X handle @ruffydfire on August 9.
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state, in a press release signed by the Deputy Director General, Media and Publicity of the Asue/Ogie Campaign Management Council, Rev Olu Martins, urged the APC candidate to make his first public appearance, either in a physical town hall, television or radio stations, to speak to Edo people on his plans for them in the event that he is elected the governor.
“Several television stations including renowned stations like Channels and Arise have made repeated calls for his appearance and all such calls have proved abortive. Even Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was begged by Channels TV to bring him, but the man continues to run away from all such public engagements. We believe that another golden opportunity presents itself again. We are shocked that he is shunning it again, and is recruiting his aides to go and speak for him,” Martins said.
“When will Okpebholo speak to Edo people? The candidate of our party, Dr Asue Ighodalo has continued to engage the people of Edo State on all known electronic platforms and sometimes at the shortest possible notice.
“We are willing at whatever time and location to debate the candidate of the APC on any physical forum, or on reputable radio and television stations, at any time or day.
“Only the candidates of political parties can speak better about and for themselves as our candidate Dr Asue Ighodalo has been doing. No barber can cut anyone’s hair in his absence in the same way no one can speak better for a candidate other than the candidate himself!” he said.
The APC, however, did not take Oseni’s invitation to Senator Okpebholo lightly.
Reacting through a press statement signed by its Director, Osigwe Omo-Ikirodah, the Edo APC New Media Directorate described Oseni’s invitation as a deliberate attempt to smear Senator Okpebholo’s reputation, accusing Oseni of being unprofessional and nursing “a biased agenda designed to belittle our candidate”.
“Let us make it clear: Senator Okpebholo has no obligation to grant an interview to a platform that has already shown its hand in trying to ridicule him. Rufai Oseni’s claim that his invitation to our candidate is being ‘politicized’ is nothing but a diversion from the real issue—his lack of impartiality and professional ethics,” Omo-Ikirodah said.
He further said that if Arise TV and Rufai Oseni “are so eager to have Senator Okpebholo on their platform, perhaps they should consider compensating him with a sum of $1 million”.
“Only then might he entertain the notion of subjecting himself to what we can only describe as an act of media bullying. The integrity and principles of our candidate are not for sale, but such an offer might at least demonstrate a seriousness on their part that has thus far been sorely lacking,” he said.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, had last week also mocked the APC and its governorship candidate for allegedly failing to present a clear manifesto.
“The PDP mocks the candidate of the disoriented APC, Monday Okpebholo, for failing to articulate any purposeful campaign manifesto, ideas or plan that can benefit the people of Edo State; the reason he remains alienated from the electorate,” Ologunagba said.
“While the PDP candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, continues to marshal out detailed people-based and development-oriented manifesto that embodies the yearning and aspiration of the people of Edo State in every sector of life, the APC candidate in contrast only gropes with pitiable absence of ideas and lack of understanding of the intricate demands of governance.
“Also, while the PDP candidate is galvanizing the citizens on ways to sustain and further build on the current development in the state, the APC candidate is not able to connect with the people, having not demonstrated any capacity for governance.
“No wonder the APC candidate has been avoiding the media and town hall engagements with the people of Edo State,” he said.
