By Charles Okogene
The absence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the streets of Edo State and the campaign arenas across the state has given rise to the above question.
Three months to the September 21,2024 date for the election, APC, one of the leading opposition party in the state is virtually no where to be found, fueling the belief among the electorate that the party is not ready for the election.
After it’s candidate, Monday Okpebholo’s, controversial outing overseas, nothing much has been heard of the party or it’s candidate here in the entire Edo State not even in his Edo Central Senatorial District that the duo of Ighodalo and Ogie of the Peoples Democratic Party (,PDP) have ran ring against him and his party.
The party has not done much compared to the PDP. APC is as good as being absent on the social media. Even the Honourable Phillip Shaibu (HPS) Strategic Media team’s job is more effective than what the APC media team is doing so far and the election is just three months away.
A keen observer who spoke to charlesokogene.com when told that the non presence of the party in the streets of major towns in the state might be because of the law by the state government banning the display of party posters asked “even if the Edo State government prevents APC from displaying billboards along the roads, has APC been directed not to place its logo on buses and private cars”?
And he went on to remind us thus “take your minds back to Edo 2020. POI’s face caps were everywhere in Benin city. APC’s logo were on much cars and buses . It was only today, the 27th of June that I saw a man with an APC cap.
“Even on the social media, APC is far below the PDP. It doesn’t really cost much to engage people to handle this. There are lots of Esan platforms that need representatives of the APC, unfortunately we have 99% of such platforms sympathetic to the PDP, the worried observer who seem to be sympathetic to APC but refused his name in print said.
Similarly, writers see it as unwise venture to take the risk of sticking out their necks to do FREE WRITE UPS IN SUPPORT of politicians these days, especially those of APC stock in Edo State.
“I have become an enemy to some people because of my continuous support for Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu through my write ups. I have even become an enemy of over 90% of members of two platforms where I belong. I am now hated there. One of the platforms is solely made up of members of the PDP and they are all virtually apologists of gov. Obaseki,” one of such writer told this reporter.
According to him, “the APC needs to engage the right hands for their publicity, especially when PDP social media experts are telling Edo people that the APC ‘s federal govt that has brought poverty to the people of Nigeria will also visit poverty on the people of Edo state, if Monday Okpebholo is voted in . Lots of ignorant electorate in the state are swallowing such message.
“I was at the popular Uwelu spare parts market recently . The issue of Edo 2024 became the topic of discussion at a spot at about 9.00am. 99% of the discussants were for the PDP. Only myself and my mechanic were on the side of the APC’s candidate.
“The sin of Tinubu’s federal government is being visited on Monday Okpebholo ‘s movement/ dream. This is the truth. Therefore, effective publicity is needed by the party. The right messages should be sent to the electorates, ” the observer concluded.