Felix Omoh-Asun in Benin City
The Edo State government has defended the Director-General of Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Council and former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, over his assertion that Nigerians should still visit markets and find food to buy, insisting that the statement should be understood within its proper context.
The Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, explained that Yari was not suggesting that Nigerians were free from economic hardship, but was making the point that food remained available in Nigerian markets, unlike in some foreign countries where consumers reportedly experience shortages of essential grocery items.
Afegbua argued that food affordability and availability were two different issues, noting that while economic challenges had made it difficult for many Nigerians to afford basic food items, the commodities remained accessible through various markets.
Afegbua, who spoke on Arise Television’s Sunday morning programme, monitored in Benin City, added that consumers could obtain food at relatively cheaper rates by patronising local markets and buying directly from farmers rather than relying exclusively on high-end supermarkets and other expensive outlets.
The commissioner also attributed the gradual improvement in agricultural activities in some communities to improved security, which he said had enabled farmers to return to their farmlands and resume production.
However, he acknowledged that Nigerians were still grappling with significant economic difficulties, maintaining that the Federal Government was pursuing reforms aimed at addressing the challenges and stabilising the economy.
He also defended Governor Monday Okpebholo’s pledge to secure 2.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, describing the figure as an ambitious but achievable target that would be driven by aggressive voter mobilisation and the state government’s development strides.
He said the target was informed by Edo State’s growing voter population, pointing out that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had put the state’s eligible voters at 2.865 million.
He maintained that the state government was committed to mobilising, sensitising and persuading voters to support Tinubu’s re-election, insisting that the administration’s investments in infrastructure and social development had provided sufficient reasons for the electorate to endorse the president for a second term.
“The context at which we made that statement is the fact that we are setting a target for ourselves. After all, the new voters, as at last week when INEC released the figures, is 2.865 million people. What happens if we get 2.5 million? Is it a crime?” he asked.
Highlighting the state government’s development initiatives, Afegbua said the administration had intensified efforts in infrastructure, education, healthcare and other critical sectors.
“We are doing so much, we are working so much, we are building infrastructure, we are touching the social development aspect, we are building schools, health sectors, and all of that,” he said.
The commissioner argued that the Federal Government’s increased allocations to states, alongside the development opportunities they provide, should encourage Edo voters to support Tinubu’s continued leadership.
According to him, the state government’s task was to convince the electorate that continuity in federal leadership would translate into more development for Edo State.
“Our responsibility is to woo them, plead with them, appeal to them that they should allow the man who is providing the funding with respect to increased allocation to the state to continue so that they can see more development,” he said.
Afegbua also warned that frequent changes in government could undermine economic stability and disrupt the implementation of policies, arguing that continuity was essential to sustaining the gains of ongoing reforms.
“It is even dangerous for economic growth of any country for you to disrupt the flow or the process as it were now, when things are getting stabilised,” he said, reaffirming the state government’s determination to deliver Edo State for Tinubu in 2027.
He further disclosed that Governor Okpebholo was expected to embark on a statewide tour of the 192 polling wards to canvass support for the president ahead of the election.
Afegbua said the state government will intensify its grassroots mobilisation efforts to persuade voters and ensure that their votes counted.
“Edo people are ready. We are going to deliver Edo State to President Tinubu, and we are very proud of it, and we are going to work assiduously,” he declared.