Okpebholo pledges 2.5 million votes for President Tinubu in 2027, drawing backlash from PDP who call it laughable and insulting to Edo people’s intelligence
Okpebholo pledges 2.5 million votes to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election, promising that Edo people will repay the president’s developmental strides with electoral loyalty.
Also read: Edo Governor Okpebholo Declares Divine Mandate to Combat Cultism
The Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, made the bold declaration during a political gathering in Okaijesan Town Hall, Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area, while welcoming thousands of defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“In 2027, we will reward President Tinubu’s love for Edo with 2.5 million votes,” the governor said. “Edo is APC, and APC is the vehicle of our development under the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
However, the state caretaker committee of the PDP swiftly dismissed the claim as “absurd and comical.”
In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, the PDP described the governor’s remark as “an insult to the intelligence of Edo people,” pointing out that Okpebholo barely secured 300,000 votes in his own election despite heavy federal backing.
“Now he wants us to believe he can deliver 2.5 million votes—nearly the entire registered voting population of the state,” Nehikhare added. “It reeks of desperation and sycophancy.”
The PDP also accused the governor of prioritising political praise from Abuja over pressing local issues such as insecurity and economic hardship, asserting that President Tinubu “will not be swayed by the noise and exaggerated claims of political opportunists.”
We will reward President Tinubu’s love for Edo with 2.5 million votes.
At the event, Governor Okpebholo praised the defectors’ move to the APC, describing it as a validation of his administration’s development efforts.
He asserted that the PDP had become irrelevant in Esan Central, his home constituency, and declared the party “politically finished” in the region.
Among those who returned to the APC were former Edo APC Chairman, Anselm Ojezua; state legislators; ex-local government chairmen; councillors; and notable PDP figures.
Okpebholo promised inclusive governance and assured new members of fair treatment within the party structure.
“This party belongs to everyone committed to progress. I will not betray your trust,” he said.
The leader of the APC in Edo Central, Maj Gen Cecil Esekhaigbe (retd.), urged the defectors to “join the movement of peace and purpose,” adding that the party guarantees a level playing field.
Dignitaries in attendance included Secretary to the State Government Musa Ikhilor, Chief of Staff Gani Audu, and acting APC Deputy State Chairman Sylvester Aigboboh.
Also read: Edo PDP Accuses Governor Okpebholo of Intimidating Opposition, Urges Focus on Governance
As the political temperature rises in Edo ahead of the 2027 race, Okpebholo pledges 2.5 million votes in a move analysts say is aimed at consolidating his influence within the APC while setting the tone for fierce electoral battles to come.
