Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has said the practice of “one man, one vote” will enable the state to deliver 2.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Okpebholo spoke in Benin City during a one-million-youth march organised by the City Boy Movement in support of his administration and President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Key Highlights
- Okpebholo says Edo will deliver 2.5 million votes for Tinubu in 2027.
- The governor links the target to the principle of “one man, one vote”.
- Okpebholo says Federal Government reforms have increased revenues available to Edo State.
- The governor says more than 108 primary healthcare centres have been built across the state.
- He says his administration has renovated more than 87 primary and secondary schools.
- The governor cites increased funding for higher institutions as part of his administration’s achievements.
- The City Boy Movement organised the youth march in support of Okpebholo and Tinubu.
Okpebholo said Edo residents were aware of what he described as the benefits of the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms to the state.
According to the governor, Edo’s monthly wage bill had risen above N7.8 billion, while development projects and payment of salaries had continued.
He argued that the state’s increased revenue had helped fund government activities and linked the development to reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration.
“We are paying so much on salaries and at the same time, development is ongoing, projects are ongoing. Look at our flyover, if not for the reforms of the president, where will we get money for all this?” Okpebholo said.
“You can see how many primary healthcare centres we have built since we came into office, over a hundred and eight across the state.”
Okpebholo Highlights Education, Healthcare Projects
On education, the governor said his administration had renovated more than 87 primary and secondary schools across Edo State.
He also said the government had increased subvention to higher institutions from N41 million to more than N700 million.
“How could we have gotten this money, if not the man, President Bola Tinubu, that is courageous enough to have removed the fuel subsidy,” he said.
Okpebholo also cited Tinubu’s tenure as governor of Lagos State, saying the President introduced reforms which, in his view, improved the administration of the state.
Governor Criticises Political Opponents
The Edo governor also criticised unnamed political opponents whom he accused of mismanaging public resources.
He alleged that some politicians were promising to restore fuel subsidy because, according to him, they benefited from the subsidy regime.
“Those people that believe they can steal Nigeria’s money are telling you they will restore subsidy, because it is from that subsidy they make their money from,” he said.
“People that sold our assets in this country without proper accountability, are they the ones that want to rule Nigeria? Those with supermarket, let them continue to do their commodity business.”
The allegations were made by the governor in the course of his political address and were not accompanied by specific evidence against named individuals.
Okpebholo Repeats 2.5m Vote Target
Okpebholo has repeatedly said he wants Edo State to deliver 2.5 million votes for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
He made a similar appeal to newly elected chairmen and vice chairmen of the state’s 18 local government areas in September.
The 2.5 million target has also been publicly associated with the Edo APC’s 2027 mobilisation efforts.
A youth representative at the march commended the governor for what he described as improvements in security across the state, saying the development was helping to build investors’ confidence.
He said the march was organised to demonstrate the youths’ support for Okpebholo and Tinubu and mobilise support for APC candidates in the 2027 elections.
The 2.5 million-vote target remains a political pledge by Okpebholo and the Edo APC. The feasibility of the target has been questioned by opposition figures, while Okpebholo and his supporters have continued to defend the projection. For more updates, follow us on X.
