Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo says he is willing to resign from office if President Bola Tinubu fails to secure victory in the state during the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking during an interview on AIT, the governor declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) now dominates Edo’s political landscape and faces “no real opposition” ahead of the next general polls.
Okpebholo said Tinubu’s rising popularity in the state, combined with his own early initiatives in office, has solidified the APC’s position. He cited recent bye-election results in Esan as proof of the party’s growing strength, insisting that Edo residents “will thank Asiwaju with their votes”.
His words: “Asiwaju is even more popular than me here now because Edo people already know that what I’m doing is because of Asiwaju’s impact.
“You will see the kind of result that will come out from here because there’s no opposition in Edo.
“Did you see the bye-election? We’ve never produced the kind of results we produced in Esan. The Esan and Edo people have not even told Asiwaju thank you, and how will they? It’s going to be the votes.
“Everybody is for Asiwaju. The people will thank him with their votes. If he does not win, I’d resign,” Okpebholo added.
The governor maintained that his governance style prioritises grassroots engagement, which he attributes to years of political mentorship under the late Chief Tony Anenih.
“I’m a politician. I understudied Chief Anenih, and my style of politics is not thuggery; it’s grassroots,” he said.
He also criticised former governor Godwin Obaseki, claiming that his predecessor’s performance has made him unpopular among residents.
“Let him come here. Anytime he comes to Edo — where he is, he will be listening to me now. Let him come. I’m not fighting him, but the record will show whether he should come or not. You can’t scam Edo and come here.
“He can’t come to Edo. His poor record will not make him come. When children can stand to pray for me, no child would stand on the street to pray for Obaseki. No mother on the street will pray for Obaseki.”
