Residents now call me ‘Okpe’s baby’ – Okpebholo

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, says residents have changed his nickname from “Akpako Rescue” to “Okpe’s baby”, claiming the reception he receives while moving around the state gives him joy.

The governor disclosed this during a live broadcast shared by ITV and Radio on Saturday, recounting an encounter while walking along Sapele Road.

“I was on Sapele Road yesterday. They have even changed my name from Akpako Rescue to Okpe’s baby. These things give me joy because I walk freely on the street; instead of throwing pure water at me, they are giving me sweet names,” he said.

Okpebholo also expressed confidence in President Bola Tinubu, saying the economic reforms introduced by the administration were beginning to yield results.

Speaking at a meeting with supporters, the governor cited developments in commodity prices and the foreign exchange market as reasons for his support for the President.

He urged business owners and members of the public to assess changes in the economy since Tinubu assumed office.

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“Why do I have confidence to talk about Mr President? It’s because of many reforms this man has put in place that is yielding fruit for this country,” he said.

Okpebholo argued that the exchange rate had become relatively stable and that the naira had strengthened against the dollar.

“Those days we used to say something, prices that go up in Nigeria never come down. But you can see prices of dollars coming down gradually, and it’s not going back up,” he said.

The governor also defended the removal of the petrol subsidy, arguing that the policy had ended a system in which a few individuals allegedly benefited disproportionately from the country’s resources.

“This man has been able to remove oil subsidies, whereby few individuals are serving the work of this country in their palm,” he said.