By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – A public affairs analyst, Ibhagbosoria Andrew on Tuesday cautioned Governor Monday Okpebholo against opportunists and sycophants who he said were not ready to help his administration but to grab from the system.

A statement by Andrew released to journalists in Benin City alleged that many of these people were not with the governor when he decided to contest.

He said some of the alleged sycophants whose identities he did not mention said they were in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but never supported the governor during his election as a senator, his governorship election and the recent by-election in the state which was won by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Part of the statement tagged ‘Governor Monday Okpebholo – beware of the Trojan horses in your backyard’ read “In this his journeys, a tiny few believed in him and prosecuted the Esan Agenda which has become Edo Agenda.

“Okpebholo’s journey can be defined as the divine mandate of David killing Goliath. During the electioneering campaigns, he was vilified, deconstructed with a deluge of insults. Even when he won the elections, they continued with their mudslinging and malicious commentary of a rigged election that would be voided by the courts.

“Okpebholo again floored them in the three layers of adjudication. In the Senatorial by-election, these same characters came up with a slogan of “Asiwaju rigged the election for him” and the senatorial election will show that he was never on ground. After all, they won three of the five LGAs in the Edo Central during his own election.

“Just one year in opposition, all those who assaulted and assassinated his character and never found him worth Zimbabwean dollars have become born again. Politicians should have self-esteem no matter the hunger.

“They are now running around Okpebholo with the facade of “let’s join our brother to develop the state. Ordinarily this mantra sounds logical but lacks altruism.

“While Governor Okpebholo has a great mind and believes in the unity of all forces for greater political force, he should be mindful of these Trojan Horses. Their plan is to form a clique and faction, collect what they can get and move away in the nearest future.

“While engaging with them, he should be circumspect and not relegate the old APC members. They stood with him and will stand again with him when the time comes. Those who genuinely appreciate your development strides are known and are welcome.”

He described Governor Okpebholo as the biblical rejected stone that had become the cornerstone of Edo political space.

“People called him a political neophyte when he came out for senatorial race in 2023 but he flattened and decimated the incumbent Senator and other political heavy weights.”