A former governorship candidate in Edo State, Patience Ofure-Key, has advised Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State to prioritise immediate governance and the welfare of residents rather than campaigning for President Bola Tinubu’s reelection.
The 2024 Peoples Redemption Party governorship candidate gave the advice in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
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She was reacting to a recent pledge by Mr Okpebholo to deliver 2.5 million votes from Edo to Mr Tinubu in 2027.
Ms Ofure-Key said the governor should focus on governance, not on boasting about 2027.
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She advised the governor to publicly commit to the politics of performance, transparency, and inclusion, rather than to vote-banking rhetoric that reduces democracy to a private promise between political elites.
“He should be focusing on security, jobs, roads, schools, hospitals, and the daily welfare of Edo people.
“He should be asking how to justify the confidence of the people, not how to make political promises on their behalf.
“Okpebholo must focus on serving Edo people. That is the sacred responsibility before him. History will not honour those who merely made noise about votes; history will honour those who governed with humility, served with sincerity, and respected the people.
“I call on Governor Okpebholo to focus on service delivery and governance outcomes that improve lives now; respect the sovereignty of voters; Edo citizens vote as free people, not as a bloc owned by any office-holder,” she said.
‘Edo votes not for sale’
Ms Ofure-Key, who is also the president of the Nigerians in Diaspora Chamber of Commerce, said it was undemocratic to promise the people’s vote on their behalf.
“Edo votes are not for sale. Edo votes are not for delivery. Edo people are not political commodities.
“No governor, no party leader, and no political office holder has the right to speak as though the will of the people has already been bought, packaged, or transferred to anyone,” she said.
Ms Ofure-Key said that the people’s vote belongs to them, not a fixed deposit in any politician’s vault.
She wondered how the governor intended to generate 2.5 million votes, asking what the highest number of votes ever recorded by any governor in Edo was.
She recalled that in the 2024 Edo governorship election, Mr Okpebholo was declared the winner with 291,667 votes, while former Governor Godwin Obaseki polled 307,955 votes in 2020 and 319,483 votes in 2016.
“These figures matter because they show the reality of recent electoral participation in Edo State.
“So when anyone promises ‘2.5 million votes’ as if it is a fixed deposit, Edo people are right to ask whether this is a political hype or whether it signals an intention to substitute performance with propaganda,” Ms Ofure-Key said.
She emphasised that while any Nigerian has the right to aspire, participate, and run for office, democracy does not belong to political gatekeepers.
Ms Ofure-Key urged all Nigerians not to sell their votes in the 2027 general elections, but to be courageous, speak up for a sustainable future, and refuse intimidation or manipulation.
READ ALSO: Gov Okpebholo condemns killings in Edo, orders security reinforcement
She described the election as a battle for positive transformation, saying, “We must believe in ourselves, intentionally.
“The future of Nigeria will not be built by silence. It will be built by brave citizens who are willing to defend truth, demand accountability, and vote for leaders with vision, competence, compassion, and character”.
She advised citizens to use their votes wisely, saying, “Your vote is your voice. Your vote is your power. Your vote is your right”.
(NAN)
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