In a recent interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today FROM 4:21, Kasim Afegbua, an influential chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, cast doubts on the political influence of prominent figures like Aisha Yesufu and Labour Party candidate Olumide Akpata in the forthcoming Edo Governorship election.
Addressing the rising political prominence of Aisha Yesufu, Afegbua firmly stated that Yesufu would struggle to win even in her hometown of Agbede, a community located in Edo North. “I can promise you, Aisha Yesufu cannot deliver her polling unit in Agbede where she comes from,” Afegbua remarked. He emphasized that political rallies and large crowds do not necessarily translate into electoral success. “It’s not about carrying a crowd… we are talking about an organic crowd, one that actually resonates with the candidate of the party,” he added.
Turning his attention to Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata, Afegbua downplayed Akpata’s chances of winning, stating that it would be nearly impossible for him to meet the constitutional requirement of securing two-thirds of the votes across Edo State’s local governments. “You must score two-thirds of the local governments in the state. That means 12 or 13 local governments,” Afegbua noted. He further predicted that the APC would dominate Edo South, claiming that his party is poised to defeat Akpata in the region’s seven local governments.
Afegbua was confident that the Labour Party would face significant challenges in Edo North and Central as well, dismissing any possibility of a political upset in these areas. “There’s no way Labour can pull any surprises as far as we are concerned,” he concluded.