How Edo Will Secure 2.5m Votes For Tinubu In 2027 — Okpebholo

Edo State governor, Monday Okpebholo, has defended his controversial pledge to deliver 2.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election, insisting that ongoing development efforts and federal support will swing voter sentiment in the state.

Speaking on ‘Politics Today’, a current affairs programme on Channels Television on Thursday night, Okpebholo dismissed criticisms that his projection was unrealistic, maintaining that popular support for the president was already evident across Edo State.

“You were on the street with me for just a few minutes. You could hear people shouting ‘2.5 million votes.’ Am I the one shouting? It’s already on the street,” the governor said.

The governor’s remarks come amid widespread scepticism over the feasibility of securing such a figure in the forthcoming 2027 presidential election given Edo State’s voting history and total registered voter population. Critics have pointed to results from the 2023 presidential election, where Peter Obi, formerly of the Labour Party, defeated Tinubu by a significant margin.

According to official figures, Obi polled 331,163 votes, while Tinubu secured 144,471 votes, numbers that analysts argued fell far short of the governor’s 2.5 million target in 2027.

Responding to concerns that the figures suggested possible electoral manipulation, Okpebholo rejected the notion outright.

“How do I manufacture votes? Nobody told the people we were coming, yet they came out in large numbers. That is how the votes will translate,” he said.

The governor attributed Tinubu’s defeat in Edo during the 2023 election to the performance of the immediate-past administration in the State under Godwin Obaseki, noting that public dissatisfaction at the time influenced voting patterns.

“Peter Obi defeated Tinubu in Edo State in 2023 because the governor then was not working,” he stated.

Looking ahead to 2027, Okpebholo expressed confidence that the narrative would change, citing ongoing projects and increased federal allocations to the state.

“The people of Edo State will vote for Bola Tinubu because of the work we are doing and because of the money Tinubu is releasing to us to work for him. It has never happened in Edo State like this before,” he added.

He further suggested that the president should focus less on campaigning and more on commissioning projects in the state, arguing that visible development would naturally translate into electoral support.

“The President should relax and come to Edo to commission projects, not to campaign,” Okpebholo said.