Governor Monday Okpebholo has vowed to resign from office if President Bola Tinubu does not secure 3.5 million votes in Edo in the 2027 presidential election.

The governor made the declaration during an interview aired on TVC, insisting that the ruling All Progressives Congress is fully prepared to secure an overwhelming victory for Mr Tinubu in the forthcoming polls.

Mr Okpebholo said Edo people were eager to re-elect Mr Tinubu as a show of appreciation. 

“If you will vote for me, they will first vote for President Tinubu. We promised 3.5 million votes, and we are not joking about it. When I say everybody should be wearing Asiwaju Tinubu’s cap…(sic), there’s no difference between me and Asiwaju because anybody who does not love Asiwaju will not love me. 

“Asiwaju is our father. He’s everywhere on the street. He (Tinubu) is even more popular than me here in Edo now. You will see the result that we come out of Edo because there’s no opposition here. 

“Everybody is for Asiwaju. The people will thank him with the votes. If he’d not win, I’d resign. I’m a politician. I understudy Chief Anineh, and my style of politics is not thuggery. It’s grassroots,” he said.

According to Mr Okpebholo, the level of mobilisation across the 18 local government areas gives the party confidence of a landslide victory in the  general election.

Mr Okpebholo also took a swipe at his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki, accusing him of leaving behind “poor records” that have alienated him from the people.

“Let him come here. Anytime he comes to Edo…where he is, he will be listening to me now. Let him come. I’m not fighting him, but it is the record that will show whether he should come or not. He can’t come to Edo.

“His poor record will not make him come. When children can stand to pray for me, no child would stand on the street to pray for Obaseki. No mother on the street will pray for Obaseki,” the Edo governor said.