The Obidient Movement has firmly shut down rumors that its governorship candidate, Olumide Akpata, has stepped aside for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, in the upcoming Edo State elections on Saturday. Despite the buzz, the movement’s Interim National Coordinator, Tanko Yunusa, wasted no time in quashing the reports via WhatsApp, labeling them as complete nonsense.
The claims that Akpata, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, had suddenly withdrawn from the race were hardly surprising, but equally laughable. The whole fiasco stemmed from a letter that magically found its way onto social media just before the election, suggesting Akpata had thrown his support behind Ighodalo, Governor Godwin Obaseki’s political favourite. As if the timing wasn’t suspicious enough, the letter was riddled with errors that even a secondary school student wouldn’t make such mistakes.
Yunusa didn’t hold back in his criticism of what he called an “unintelligently written” letter, pointing out the glaring mistake of the letter being allegedly penned on September 20 but somehow signed way back in July. The whole thing smelled like a desperate attempt to fool voters a clumsy, badly executed trick to manipulate the outcome of the election.
But according to Yunusa, it’s the same old story. “They are used to stealing the people’s votes,” he stated bluntly, reinforcing the idea that these underhanded tactics have become the norm in Nigerian politics.
Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without Yunusa dropping a classic Nigerian proverb: “Every day is for the thief, one day is for the owner of the house.” The message was clear, those trying to mislead the people will eventually get what’s coming to them. It’s a sentiment many Edo State voters likely share, as they’ve seen these political charades play out over and over again.
The Obidient Movement is standing strong behind Akpata, and it seems the people aren’t falling for the tricks this time. As the clock ticks down to election day, only time will tell who will have the last laugh in this race for Edo’s future.
