“Do not tear down with words what you have laboured to build with hope. The success of Governor Okpebholo is, ultimately, the success of every Edo man and woman.”
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new” – Socrates.
In recent times, a section of Edo State indigenes has employed uncharitable language in describing the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo. Many of these individuals appear disillusioned because their personal desires have not yet been fulfilled after they “supported” him during the September 2024 gubernatorial election. Some have even gone so far as to claim that they “practically made him governor.”
As someone who served as spokesman for the opposing candidate, Mr Asue Ighodalo, during that election, I cannot fully measure the roles these individuals may have played in the emergence of the APC candidate as victor, nor during the litigation that followed. Yet as an Edo son and stakeholder, I state without hesitation that there is neither sense nor patriotism in wishing the governor failure. No progressive or reasonable mind should hope for the downfall of a duly elected leader simply because personal expectations have not been satisfied.
The truth remains that the administration is still in its infancy. Governor Okpebholo has spent just nine months in office, and over five of those months were consumed by litigation until the Supreme Court finally affirmed his mandate. A fair and objective citizenry must acknowledge the enormity of these early challenges and allow him the space to settle fully into the duties of governance before throwing darts of criticism.
Most troubling is that much of the antagonism comes not from the opposition but from members of the governor’s own party, the APC. This is deeply unfortunate because in any democracy, it is the party that should rally behind the leader, not undermine him. It is an irony that the very political family that should be shielding the administration is instead weakening it with needless rancour.
The reality confronting Edo State today is stark. Our hinterlands cry for urgent attention. The remote regions of Edo Central, the Akoko Edo area, and the Owan axis of Edo North remain cut off from meaningful development. Infrastructure is poor, health facilities are inadequate, and the shadow of insecurity looms large. Kidnapping has become frighteningly common in these areas, eroding public confidence and security of life.
Instead of engaging in personal quarrels, the voices of our people should be directed toward constructive advocacy, urging government to intensify interventions in these neglected zones. For too long, successive administrations ignored these communities, leaving them in hardship and fear. Governor Okpebholo’s administration offers an opportunity to change that story if we stand together and provide the encouragement needed for bold action.
At this critical juncture, what Edo requires is not antagonism but unity of purpose. Governor Okpebholo deserves collective support to confront insecurity, reduce violent crime, and embark on the massive economic, social, and infrastructural development that will transform the state.
The destiny of Edo is bound to the success of its governor. If Senator Monday Okpebholo succeeds, then Edo people succeed. If he fails, then all of us share in that failure. It is therefore incumbent upon us, regardless of party lines or personal grievances, to stand behind him for the progress of our beloved state.
Amb. Deacon Darlington Okpebholo Ray, MSc, Asoc CIPD, is a Journalist, fellow of the British College of Journalism, Human Resource Management Expert (CIPD), PhD Researcher, Sociopolitical Rights Activist and Publisher of Truth Live News. Hewrites from Greenwich, London, England.