Less than 24 hours after making headlines for a controversial gaffe, Monday Okpebholo is back in the spotlight — and not for a good reason.
At a lively campaign rally in Ovia-North LGA on Thursday, the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate for the Edo governorship election stumbled while addressing an eager crowd.
“We’re going to provide you with insecurity,” Okpebholo declared, a slip that quickly ignited a firestorm on social media. The moment was visceral; footage captured the senator representing Edo-north, Adams Oshiomhole, standing next to him, visibly alarmed as he gestured for a correction.
Realizing his blunder, Okpebholo quickly amended his statement. “We are going to provide you with security; we are going to fight insecurity,” he affirmed, attempting to regain control of the narrative.
“We’re going to ensure that the evil ones are banished from our land. This place does not belong to kidnappers.”
As if that wasn’t enough, on Friday, more clips surfaced online where Okpebholo claimed he would repair interstate roads and extract double the funds from the federal government if elected.
With the governorship election set for September 21, Okpebholo faces fierce competition from Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP), and 14 other contenders. The race is heating up, and attention is focused on whether Okpebholo can recover from his missteps in time to sway the electorate.
