APC Launches Tribal Political Propaganda Targeting Asue Ighodalo’s Wife, Ose Anenih Ahead of Edo Governorship Election

As the September 21, 2024, Edo governorship election approaches, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has revived its controversial strategy of tribal political propaganda, reminiscent of tactics used in the 2023 general elections.

The APC, in a coordinated effort, has begun relentless media attacks on Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, the wife of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, solely due to her Igbo heritage.

Insiders reveal that the APC’s media onslaught against Mrs Ighodalo is a calculated move to exploit ethnic sentiments to sway voters in Edo State.

The attacks have raised alarms among political observers, who recall similar tactics employed by the APC in states like Lagos, where ethnic divisions were stoked to achieve electoral gains.

In addition to the targeting of Mrs. Ighodalo, another PDP chieftain, Ose Anenih, who serves as the Director of Strategy for the Asue Ighodalo Campaign Council, has also become a victim of these orchestrated attacks.

The campaign against Anenih was reportedly instigated by former governor and current senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole.

Oshiomhole recently made a disparaging comment during an APC campaign event, noting that Anenih’s mother is Igbo, a statement that was widely seen as an attempt to further stoke ethnic tensions.

Within 24 hours of Oshiomhole’s comment, APC supporters on social media began creating fake profiles with Igbo names, using the accounts to cast aspersions on the revered Oba of Benin. The objective appeared to be an attempt to pitch the Igbo community against the people of Edo State.

However, Edo residents were quick to see through the ploy, rejecting the divisive tactics and maintaining a united front.

“This is the brand of politics the APC has always used. They’ve done it before in places like Lagos, and now they’re trying it here in Edo, but the people are wiser,” one resident, Lucky Ozolua wrote on Facebook.

The APC’s desperate move to resort to tribal propaganda is seen by many as a response to the growing popularity of the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo.

The APC’s candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, who has gained notoriety for his reluctance to speak during campaign events—reportedly due to his well-publicized illiteracy—has left the APC scrambling for other means to sway the electorate.

“The APC knows it has a weak candidate. They’re now resorting to these dirty tactics because they can’t win on the strength of their candidate or their policies,” a political analyst, Ayo Adegbayi wrote on X.