THE recent All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary in Edo South was never just about a ticket to the Red Chambers.
It was a litmus test for the soul of Edo politics—a direct collision between the raw power of state-sanctioned financial inducement and the immovable, indomitable will of the grassroots.
The results are in, and they carry a thunderous message that should echo through the halls of Osadebe Avenue: Money may command temporary obedience, but it cannot manufacture loyalty.
Despite an unprecedented—and frankly, obscene—display of financial muscle, the incumbent establishment has suffered a stinging, humiliating defeat. Reports indicate that the state government, led by Governor Monday Okpebholo and his deputy, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, unleashed a tidal wave of cash in a desperate attempt to manipulate the electoral outcome.
We are speaking of the N1 million distributed to each of the six ward political leaders across the 77 wards amounting to N462 million; and a staggering N77 million reportedly dispensed by the Deputy Governor to ensure a singular outcome; and the N100 million “gift” to the Journalists just hours before the polls.
This was not a primary; it was a fire sale of political integrity, an attempt to auction off the mandate of the Benin people to the highest bidder.
Yet, in the face of this systemic financial barrage, the people spoke. Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu (POI) emerged victorious with 33,399 votes, dwarfing the 12,560 garnered by the government-backed Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama and the 5,107 votes for the incumbent, Senator Neda Imasuen.
This is not merely a political loss for the current administration; it is a profound moral and strategic indictment. It exposes the utter failure of a leadership that mistakes governance for the distribution of patronage.
Governor Okpebholo’s obsession with securing 2.5 million votes for President Tinubu in 2027 is a noble goal, but it is a pipe dream when chased by an administration that governs from a pedestal of detachment, surrounded by “yes-men” and political sycophants.
The Edo electorate has demonstrated that they are not mere commodities to be traded for a million naira or bought off with temporary settlements.
They have shown that they recognize the difference between a leader with deep-seated roots in the community—a man who has spent decades building alliances and understanding the heartbeat of the people—and the colourlessly timid, unprincipled, and spineless political actors currently masquerading as the architects of Edo’s future.
”To those in Osadebe Avenue: You have been served a reality check. Your political theatrics, your ghost-chasing, and your reliance on financial coercion have failed you.
‘You have underestimated the intelligence and the pride of the Benin people.
“You attempted to bribe a movement, and you were met with a mandate,” an APC party leadership told Standarddailypress.com.
Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu’s victory is proof that genuine political influence is not something you download from an app or conjure through a purse of illicit cash. It is earned. It is grown. And it is sustained by principle—a currency that, as you have just discovered, is the only one the people of Edo South truly value.
The attempt to impose candidates on the populace is an insult to the democratic process. Edo South is not a private estate to be managed by chuckleheaded characters; it is a proud district that deserves representation, not an orchestrated coronation.
If Governor Okpebholo wishes to salvage what remains of his political standing, he must desist from these desperate manipulations. He must stop fighting against the authentic leaders of the party and begin to recognize that his success is inextricably linked to the unity of the APC—a unity that cannot be built on the back of bribery or the suppression of the popular will.
The primary is over. The money has been spent, the results have been counted, and the verdict is clear: The people of Edo South have chosen their voice. It is time for the government to stop the ghost-chasing, acknowledge the mandate of the grassroots, and accept that real power, unlike cash, is never gifted—it is commanded.