As the party primaries for the Edo State gubernatorial election heat up, the senator representing Edo Central Senatorial District, Senator Monda Okpebholo, has been tipped by a new projection to clinch the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket.
Senator Okpebholo, who is widely known in the Edo political circle as Akpakomiza, is from Edo Central, an area that has been agitating for the governorship slot to be zoned to it, having not produced a governor since the inception of the current democratic dispensation, except for the short-lived governorship of Professor Oserhiemen Osunbor, whose tenure was cut short to pave the way for the emergence of Comrade Adams Oshimhole.
The Esan Alliance Movement (EAM), one of the pressure groups at the forefront of the Edo Central governorship agitation, made this disclosure following an independent poll conducted among all the governorship aspirants in the state.
The results of the poll, which were made available to newsmen in Benin on Thursday, showed that the Edo Central APC senator towered high above other aspirants.
Some of the contenders for the APC governorship ticket are Prince Clem Agba, Senator Monday Okpebholo, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Mr Festus Ebea, Dr David Imuse, Professor Oserhiemen Osunbor and Prince Kassim Afegbua, among others
The poll report conducted by a team of data analysts also took into account the cognizance, popularity, and financial capability of aspirants, experience, acceptability, contribution to the party, and issues of zoning.
The statement endorsed by the EAM coordinators, Samson Okoduwa and Imade Osagie, said, “Our projection ahead of the Edo 2024 governorship primaries is that the APC aspirant, Monday Okpebholo, is expected to win the party primaries and eventually fly the party’s flag.”.
“The poll, which also took into consideration the strong agitation from the people of Edo central senatorial district to produce Obaseki’s successor, also pointed to Okpebholo, while Hon. Festus Ebea and Col. David Imuse came in second and third, respectively.
The poll, which was conducted using a combination of phone surveys, questionnaires, and influencers, also looked at the spread of aspirants’ chances of winning the governorship election if given the party’s ticket.
“We also identify that youths are more likely to see a younger candidate emerge as governor in the 2024 governorship race in Edo State.
“Conclusively, Okpebholo’s community service and contribution to strengthening the APC party in a zone considered to be a no-go area for the APC when others had lost hope in the APC was a strong favouring factor.
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