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Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo state, says key opposition figures, including Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, failed Nigeria in the past.
Okpebholo spoke on Thursday when he featured on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’.
Asked whether there was anything that could stand in Tinubu’s way ahead of next year’s vote, the governor said the president’s performance has already secured him victory.
“President Tinubu has made a landmark for this country, and this election is already as good as won,” he said.
“His work, his policies, are speaking for him.”
The governor also claimed that rising insecurity in the country is being fuelled by political opponents seeking to discredit the administration ahead of the election.
He said kidnappings and killings are being sponsored by opposition elements.
“You know that it is the evil people that are creating this insecurity. The more the president tries to stop them, because the election is coming, they are sponsoring them to come out,” he said.
Asked directly if insecurity is politically motivated, he said, “yes, of course”.
“The opposition is using them. Just to make sure that people will say, ‘Ah, this president is not doing well.’ Opposition is the one behind the kidnapping, the killings,” he added.
The governor said Tinubu “must win” his re-election battle and rejected suggestions that opposition figures such as Obi or Amaechi could pose a threat.
“Do you know that these people have actually failed this country in the past?” he asked.
On whether the same applied to Abubakar, Okpebholo responded in the affirmative.
The governor said although Abubakar was vice-president during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, he played a major role in government decisions.
Asked whether he was suggesting that the Tinubu administration had outperformed the Obasanjo government, Okpebholo said, “yes, of course”.
The governor also dismissed concerns that opposition politicians rallying under a single platform ahead of the 2027 poll was dangerous for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
“It’s not dangerous. The Bible says they must gather, but yeah, they will scatter,” he said.
