“I no dey tok and pipo dey cry. Why dem dey cry? becos I no dey tok, I know wetin I want, I know how to tok am at di time I wan tok am. I be newsmaker and a community builder. I no be just politician.
“Na very strong weapon, (silence) becos you no go know wetin I dey plan, bifor you know, I don do one tin. Very soon you go see wetin I go do.”
Na so Senator Okpebholo, di All Progressives Congress, APC govnorship candidate for di upcoming election for Edo state tok as e explain im strategy for inside exclusive interview wit BBC Pidgin.
“I dey under di watch of Chief Tony Anenih, di biggest and strongest politician in Africa at dat time. I work very closely wit am and I study am and im moves in politics. Di senator tok.
Di candidate bin don draw criticisms for failing to honour media invitations to tok about im goals and race to become di next govnor for Edo state.
But BBC Pidgin get am to speak to us and e chook mouth for dat criticism and also di reason e dey for di race.
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‘I go use technology fight insecurity’
Di senator no also hesitate to tok about im plans for di state if e win.
“I wan become govnor of Edo state becos Edo never dey marginalised as im dey like dis bifor.
“Crisis plenty here and dia, lack of infrastructural development, insecurity evriwia, our educational system dey very backward and lack of good road.
“If you enta our GRA you go know say problem dey. Last time I go GRA I enta one big river wey I name afta Asue and Obaseki becos no difference dey dia two.
“So I wan come help to develop our city, I dey here to do my best to change di narrative,” e tok.
On di issue of insecurity wey be one area wey dey worry for di state, di senator say e go tackle am both manually and wit technology if e win.
“I go come in, strengthen di police and train di local vigilantes so we go get a safe Edo state for all of us.
“I go deploy technology, to see dis guys wherever dem dey hide to fish dem out, criminals no go get hiding place for our land.”
E also touch on im plans for di economy.
“If I provide enabling environment for investors to come in, dem go come. Di more investors come in, den our economy go grow.”
Okpebholo say e go also reason to empower market women, artisans so dat dem fit stand on dia feet.
“We gatz see how we fit reduce multiple taxation, once we do all dis tins, investors go come. Den we go also look into di area of power.”
‘My relationship wit Adams Oshimhole na becos im be leader’
Although di APC candidate don dey mostly quiet in di build-up to di election as e focus on campaigning for di grassroots and around Edo state, one pesin wey don make headline well-well in im defence na di former govnor of di state and APC leader Adams Oshiomhole.
On di question about why e be so, Senator Okpebholo say make pipo no read anoda tin inside di mata.
“E be di leader of APC. As a leader of di party wey don work for im pipo very well, I dey proud of am becos evriwia we go dem dey hail am Oshobaba! Make Obaseki come out now and see wetin go happun to am. E dey under tight security.
Wen we ask di senator how e tink say e go rate against di oda politicians, im say e no shake at all.
“Wetin dey di candidate of PDP, dem be baby politicians, dem no know politics.
“Dem neva do politics bifor, e dey wit di govnor dey say e be im chief economic adviser, you advise am well? di govnor wey you don serve under don fail Edo pipo, and you be im chief economic adviser, both of una fail,” Senator Okpebholo tok as e fire di People’s Democratic Party candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
‘Nigerians need to get patience’
Di Edo state govnorship election dey happun at a time di ruling APC party wey di senator dey contest under dey under fire as di kontri dey battle economic crisis wey don lead to inflation, a rise in cost of living and food prices.
Di senator defend di president and im administration say dem dey try but di damage dey much and e fit take time to get more results.
E also accuse di gatekeepers for middle say dem no dey allow di federal goment workings to flow down and impact di pipo.
“Di goment for central dey do im best to see say e reposition Nigeria. Bifor di goment come into power, a lot of tins don spoil and e dey take time to stabilise di economy and you need to get to a cruising level bifor you fit enjoy am. Na just patience Nigerians need to get. Dis na di best goment for dis kontri.
“Bifor Tinubu come into power, Edo state dey receive allocation of 3.1 billion naira but today dem dey receive 11.1 or 2 billion naira. Dat one dey enough for a state goment to stabilise im own state economy but we no dey see di money here,” di APC candidate tok.
E add say, “Wen dis goment come into power, Edo state dey owe 43 billion naira, now na 567 billion naira and notin to show for it.”
As to im first task and priority if im win and assume office, di senator no hesitate to say im go declare “state of emergency on our roads, insecurity for Edo state and on di education sector”.
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