In a significant political development, President Bola Tinubu handed over the flag of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Monday Okpebholo, the party’s gubernatorial candidate for the upcoming Edo gubernatorial election. The flag presentation ceremony took place at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja on Monday.
Accompanied by key APC figures including the national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, and other members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), President Tinubu oversaw the formal presentation of the flag to Okpebholo and his running mate, Dennis Idahosa.
The event followed the selection of Idahosa as the deputy governorship candidate for the APC in Edo State. Idahosa’s unveiling occurred during a meeting attended by prominent APC figures such as Ganduje, former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Okpebholo himself, and other party stakeholders on Sunday night.
Idahosa’s emergence as the deputy governorship candidate comes after he contested the APC ticket for the Edo governorship election during the party primaries. Despite his loss in the primaries, Okpebholo eventually secured the party’s flag bearer position for the November 21, 2024 election.
It is expected that Idahosa’s acceptance of the deputy governorship candidacy will lead to the withdrawal of his lawsuit against the party regarding the outcome of the Edo primary elections, signaling a step towards party unity and cohesion ahead of the crucial gubernatorial poll.