The newly elected Chairman of Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Blessing Albert Ebhodaghe, has warned commercial drivers operating from motor parks in the council against wearing caps or other materials associated with political parties other than the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ebhodaghe issued the warning in a video circulating on social media, where he said he visited the Onitsha Park to give what he described as a “standing warning” to drivers.
The chairman linked the directive to Governor Monday Okpebholo’s stated target of delivering 2.5 million votes from Edo State to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
“The Governor of Edo State, he promised the President Bola Tinubu 2.5 million in the 2027 general election that the whole world is going to see,” Ebhodaghe said.
“By the grace of God, we are totally behind him. We are going to deliver him, come 2027.”
Ebhodaghe said he had been moving around the town to mobilise drivers in support of the governor and the President, while pointing to road projects being undertaken by the administration as part of the reasons for the political support.
“Because if the road is not good, the driver cannot go. Am I correct? If the road is not good, you cannot apply anything. You cannot even find your daily bread,” he said.
“So, because the road is good today, you can go to Onitsha and come back. You can do what you need to do for the day.”
The chairman subsequently instructed drivers at the park to avoid wearing caps or other political materials that were not associated with the APC.
“I wrote on no account to not see any driver put on his cap or any material that does not belong to the party,” he said.
“Any park I see anybody putting on another cap… there will be no friend to this vehicle.”
He said he would personally monitor compliance, adding that he would use his mobile phone to document any violation and report it to the park leadership.
“I will come here with a mobile phone,” he said, adding that he would also contact the park chairman.
Ebhodaghe said the warning was being issued in his capacity as the local government chairman and directed the park leadership to ensure compliance.
“I’m here to handle all the things. To give order. Give this warning to the Chairman and to the company,” he said.
“Let nobody put on the cap.”
The directive has attracted criticism from civic group MonITNG, which called on Ebhodaghe and Governor Okpebholo to clarify whether the instruction had been authorised by the state government.
The group argued that motor parks are public spaces and workplaces where people earn their livelihoods and should not be used to compel political allegiance.
The controversy comes shortly after Okpebholo inaugurated the newly elected chairmen and vice chairmen of Edo State’s 18 local government areas and called on them to work towards delivering 2.5 million votes for Tinubu in 2027.
During the September 4 inauguration, the governor urged the council chairmen to strengthen grassroots political structures and mobilise support for Tinubu and the APC’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Okpebholo has previously spoken about the 2.5 million-vote target for Tinubu, including remarks in May that Edo could deliver the votes and comments in June linking the target to projects being executed by his administration.
The Edo State APC also reiterated the target following its reported victory in the July 2026 local government election, where the party said it won all 18 chairmanship positions and 192 councillorship seats.
However, it remains unclear whether the state government or Governor Okpebholo specifically authorised Ebhodaghe’s instruction on what political materials commercial drivers may wear at the motor park.
