Akpabio Declares Okpebholo’s Seat Vacant, Requests INEC to Conduct Election

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has declared Okpebholo’s senatorial seat vacant, urging INEC to organize a by-election to fill the position. This follows recent political developments in the Senate.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole of Edo North stated that his son, Cyril, is qualified to hold the position of Commissioner of Health in a South-South state.

Oshiomhole, the former governor of Edo, appeared as a guest on Channel Television’s Politics Today program on Wednesday.

In November, shortly after the inauguration of the new governor, Oshiomhole’s ally Governor Monday Okphebolo appointed Cyril as the health commissioner.

The appointment of the U.S.-trained medical doctor has faced a flood of criticism from individuals who view it as an act of state capture and see it as a reward for the senator’s support during the governor’s election.

When questioned about supporting his son’s appointment as commissioner, former labor leader Oshiomhole mentioned that he had shared his concerns with the governor when the announcement was made.

The lawmaker mentioned that the individual does not work under him and speculated that Governor Monday might be grooming him. Recalling a past decision, he stated that while in Edo, he prevented this person from running for the House of Representatives by supporting another candidate instead. On his second attempt to run, the lawmaker also declined his candidacy. However, on this occasion, it was the governor who chose to support him because of his qualifications.

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I voiced my concerns upon hearing the news. I called him to share them, and also conveyed these worries to the governor about potential reactions from others.

Those were the reasons I prevented him from running for office while I was in charge. However, I’ve come to accept that in today’s world, there’s only so much you can do to guide your son once he’s an adult.

However, it’s important to emphasize that I invested in my children’s education because I wanted them to have better opportunities than I had. Dr. Cyril is not only a medical doctor who graduated from Ahmadu Bello University but also pursued further studies in the United States at two universities, including Harvard.

“He isn’t getting it because he’s Oshiomhole; rather, I’d say he’s getting it despite being Oshiomhole.”