The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed as “absurd” and “comical” Governor Monday Okpebholo’s claim that Edo would deliver 2.5 million votes to President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
In a strongly worded statement on Monday, June 23, the state PDP caretaker committee described the governor’s remarks as an insult to the intelligence of Edo people and a desperate attempt to impress political leaders in Abuja.
“We read with astonishment the laughable and utterly unrealistic statement credited to Senator Monday Okpebholo, where he promised to deliver 2.5 million votes from Edo State to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 election,” said Chris Nehikhare, Publicity Secretary of the PDP caretaker committee.
Nehikhare said it was ironic that a man “who could barely manage 300,000 votes for himself in a governorship election that was marred by heavy militarisation and backed by the full weight of all APC governors,” would now promise to mobilise nearly the entire voting population of the state.
“Now, with a straight face, he wants Nigerians to believe he can mobilise 2.5 million votes for President Tinubu in 2027—just ab
out the entire number of registered voters across all 18 local government areas in the state,” Nehikhare added.
He described the governor’s statement as reeking of “desperation and sycophancy,” saying it was aimed solely at pleasing his “Abuja benefactors.”
READ ALSO: 2027: Okpebholo Pledges 2.5m Votes for Tinubu in Edo
The PDP also took issue with the governor’s priorities, accusing him of political grandstanding while Edo people suffer from rising insecurity and economic hardship.
“It is deeply troubling that while Edo people are grappling with growing insecurity as a direct result of lack of leadership, with hunger and economic hardship ravaging homes daily, Okpebholo’s top priority appears to be seeking applause in Abuja through empty posturing and hollow political promises,” the statement said.
Nehikhare said the PDP was confident that President Tinubu, “a seasoned political operator,” would not be swayed by “the noise and exaggerated claims of political opportunists.”
Governor Okpebholo had made the controversial remark during a political gathering at Okaijesan Town Hall in Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area on Sunday, where he also welcomed defectors from the PDP to the APC.
“In 2027, we will reward President Tinubu’s love for Edo with 2.5 million votes. The people have spoken through their actions. Edo is APC, and APC is the vehicle of our development under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Okpebholo had declared.
But the PDP insists that the people of Edo are not fooled by “empty rhetoric” and will hold the governor accountable for his performance, not his pledges.
“We are focused on ensuring real development, not political fanfare,” the party said.