…Shettima, Akpabio, Ganduje Back Okpebholo’s Candidacy
Vice President Kashim Shettima on Saturday led a delegation of top APC leaders to Benin, the Edo capital, for a final rally ahead of the governorship election scheduled for September 21.
The delegation included notable figures such as Senate President Godswill Akpabio, APC national chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, and several state governors.
During his address, Shettima praised the APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo, describing him as “a seasoned leader with a proven track record of excellence.”
He highlighted the importance of unity and peace, stating, “Signing the peace accord without hesitation shows dedication to putting the interests of Edo above everything.”
Shettima also emphasized that with the increase in state allocations, the incoming administration would have sufficient resources for development projects.
“With increased allocations to the states, your incoming government will have more resources to fund programmes and projects that benefit you,” he noted.
APC national chairman Ganduje urged voters to rally behind the party’s candidate, declaring, “The clouds of intimidation have been lifted, and the ground is fertile for our party’s vision to flourish. Edo has become a symbol of literary and economic resurgence.”
After receiving the APC flag, Okpebholo committed to reviving Edo’s economy, asserting that the state had suffered under PDP rule.
He stated, “Voting out the PDP remains the only way to restore hope.”
He further outlined his plans, including boosting education, security, healthcare, and agriculture. “We are voting for education; we are voting security; we are voting for social infrastructure, good health care service, and agriculture,” he said, adding a promise to provide loans to farmers and market women.
Additionally, Okpebholo pledged to employ 10,000 teachers, with 5,000 to be hired within his first 100 days in office, and vowed to address the poor condition of the state’s roads by declaring a state of emergency on infrastructure.
