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With the 2027 presidential election drawing closer, Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has taken President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign to the United Kingdom, rallying Edo indigenes in the diaspora to join the drive to deliver 2.5 million votes for the president.
This is just as he appealed to members of the diaspora to judge his administration by its performance rather than narratives on social media.
Speaking during an interactive session with Edo indigenes in London, organised under the aegis of Shine Beyond Borders and hosted by the London Professional Training Centre, the governor said the visible transformation taking place across Edo State was proof that President Tinubu’s economic reforms were working.
He urged Edo professionals and investors abroad to return home with their expertise, investments and global networks to support the state’s development.
The meeting formed part of the state government’s strategy to strengthen engagement with Edo communities abroad while mobilising them as partners in development ahead of the 2027 general election.
Okpebholo described the gathering as a family meeting and reflected on the enduring bond between Edo people overseas and their homeland.
**”Some of you left Edo as children. Some of you have never even seen Edo, but you grew up hearing the names of your communities from your parents. That is true love that has survived oceans.
“To those of you here who have never seen your ancestral home, I invite you to come back, not as visitors, but as owners,”** he said.
Making a case for investment in the state, Okpebholo said his administration’s SHINE Agenda had recorded measurable progress in infrastructure, security, healthcare, education and economic development, making Edo increasingly attractive to investors.
He highlighted projects including the Ramat Park Flyover in Benin City, the reconstruction of the Ekpoma-Auchi section of the Benin-Okene Highway with concrete pavement, the extension of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway through Edo, as well as security initiatives such as the establishment of an Army Forward Operational Base, the siting of MOPOL 82 Squadron, the recruitment of 500 Forest Guards and the approval of a new Army division for the state.
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The governor maintained that the projects were evidence of how the Federal Government’s economic reforms were translating into development at the sub-national level.
He also cautioned Edo indigenes against relying on social media narratives to assess his administration.
“Judge our administration by our performance and not from online mischiefs and propaganda,” he appealed.
He further charged them to become ambassadors of the state by promoting its investment opportunities instead of speaking negatively about their homeland.
“Avoid always speaking negatively about the land of your forefathers because there is no place like home,” he added.
Okpebholo also credited President Tinubu’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy, with improving the financial position of states and enabling governors to embark on critical infrastructure projects.
According to him, the era of states depending on federal bailouts to meet basic obligations had ended.
“The era of governors queuing up for bailouts in Abuja before they could pay workers’ salaries is over. Today, states have more money not only for salaries but enough to undertake infrastructural development as can be witnessed in Edo State in recent times,” he said.
As part of the engagement, the governor presented branded face caps and souvenirs bearing President Tinubu’s image to members of the Edo diaspora, reaffirming his administration’s support for the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Former Edo State governor and senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, was also present at the event.
