Uhunmwangho: Okpebholo Is Doing Just Fine, His Most Important Job Is Working For Edo
Edo-based public affairs commentator and public health practitioner, Chris Osa Uhunmwangho, has said Governor Monday Okpebholo's political activities outside Edo State should not distract attention from his primary responsibility of governing the state and delivering on the mandate entrusted to him by Edo people.
Uhunmwangho, who has consistently written on Edo politics and governance, said the Governor's participation in the affairs of the All Progressives Congress (APC) should be viewed within the context of his position as both a state governor and a committed member of the ruling party.
His intervention comes amid renewed political conversations surrounding the recently concluded Osun State governorship election and Governor Okpebholo's involvement in the APC's political activities in the state.
According to Uhunmwangho, while political developments outside Edo may generate headlines, they should not overshadow the more important question of what the Governor is doing with the mandate given to him by Edo residents.
“For the people of Edo, the most important issue is not who Governor Okpebholo supported in another state, but what he is doing with the mandate entrusted to him by the people of Edo,” he said.
Uhunmwangho argued that Okpebholo's responsibility extends beyond party politics to the delivery of good governance, stressing that the Governor should ultimately be assessed by the tangible impact of his administration on the lives of Edo residents.
He listed infrastructure development, security, education, healthcare, public services and economic opportunities among the areas that should form the basis for assessing the administration.
The commentator noted that Okpebholo's political involvement in Osun was not unusual, given his membership of the APC and his responsibilities within the party.
“As a party man, Okpebholo had every right to stand by his fellow party member and support the APC candidate in the Osun governorship election,” he maintained.
According to him, political parties are built around solidarity, collective participation and support, and a politician's support for his party should not automatically be interpreted as an abandonment of his responsibilities to his state.
Uhunmwangho said attempts to make Okpebholo's involvement in the Osun election the dominant issue in discussions about his administration could amount to taking attention away from the issues that directly affect Edo residents.
“For the average Edo resident, the conversation is much simpler: Is the Governor working? Yes. Are projects being delivered? Yes. Is government present in the lives of the people? Yes. Those are the issues that matter,” he said.
He further argued that political activities outside Edo would have little bearing on Okpebholo's eventual legacy if the Governor succeeds in delivering meaningful development at home.
“Political seasons come and go. Candidates win and lose. Parties rise and fall. But the responsibility of governance remains,” Uhunmwangho said.
He urged the Governor to remain focused on strengthening security, improving infrastructure, supporting education and healthcare, creating opportunities for young people and implementing policies capable of improving the standard of living across the state.
Uhunmwangho also acknowledged that Governor Okpebholo, like every public office holder, should remain open to criticism and scrutiny. However, he maintained that such scrutiny should focus primarily on measurable performance and the Governor's stewardship of Edo State.
He said the Governor's ultimate political scorecard would not be determined by the number of political engagements he undertook outside Edo, but by what his administration achieved for the people who elected him.
“Okpebholo is doing just fine. He supported his party man, as he has every right to do. Now, his most important job remains the same: working for Edo,” he said.
For Uhunmwangho, the message is therefore straightforward: Governor Okpebholo can be a committed party man and still remain firmly focused on the business of governing Edo State.
And ultimately, he said, it is the people of Edo who will have the final say on his performance.
The politics may continue, but the job remains the same — working for Edo.
